Bloodsport
by TJ Binx
Summary: What if another one of Kai's victims was trapped with him in 1994? Skye tries to forge friendships with Bonnie and Damon in order to get home, but will she be able to fight against Kai's machinations? Or will she give into them like before?
1. Chapter 1

Set during 6x03, "Welcome to Paradise"

_The dirty little Herbert_

_Was thinking an escape_

_But the place was well guarded_

_He's nearing the brink but he thinks first_

_The parallel universe perhaps could be the perfect scene_

_I think you should know you're his favourite worst nightmare_

"_D is for Dangerous"-Arctic Monkeys_

Chapter 1-You're His Favorite Worst Nightmare

She had not seen him in four months.

Normally, Kai's disappearance from her vicinity for any amount of time would be a cause for celebration. She could sleep peacefully through the night without waking up with a knife to her throat. She didn't have to worry about getting ambushed in the shower-grappling with him stark naked and wet as she tried to escape his hold on her neck.

Of course, the peaceful moments were ruined by his eventual reappearances.

But he had never stayed away this long.

Driving past the Mystic Falls Welcome sign, Skye slowed the car down and pulled onto the shoulder of the highway. Getting out, she surveyed the hilly, wooded green landscape and couldn't believe of all the places in the world, Kai would pick a little town in Virginia to spend of all of his time recently. What had he'd been doing? They were the only two people in the world, or well this magical purgatory.

And he had made no mention of his interest in the small town in the short phone call he had made to her.

Her suspicion of his disappearance had motivated her to page him, to dial those ridiculous digits. She remembered his amused, sarcastic tone when she had answered the phone and could only imagine the smirk on his face, as he greeted her with, "Well, I must say this is a surprise, Skyler."

She had collapsed on the sofa of the small house she had been occupying. Relief had hit her hard at the sound of his voice, though she thought it was dumb to feel that way. Nothing could really happen to them in this weird prison world, not even death, but sometimes she figured her brain was still hardwired to worry. The next emotion she had felt was disgust for being worried over _him_. Skye had quickly collected herself and responded, "Hi, Malachai. Whatcha been up to? Mutilated any neighborhood pets lately?"

Kai had paused for a moment. "Now, I didn't call you to get insulted. Pets? Really? I think I'm above that." She had rolled her eyes, but listened as he continued. "Anyway, I'm guessing you're worried about little old me in this scary big world. Your concern has touched me deep, Skye. Very deep in the cold cockles of... that thing in the middle of my chest." She could imagine him patting his hand over his heart as he delivered the last line-always the performer. "However, something tells me you would never admit to your concern. So, I'm curious as to what story you're gonna spin me to make me believe otherwise."

Then it had been Skye's turn to pause. This marked the first time in the 18 years that they had been stuck there that she had ever wondered about his whereabouts-usually, he'd always sought her out and she always tried to evade. She started, "Well, I'm really just curious to find out why and where you've been hiding. I mean, I'm sure there are at least sixty-four more gruesome ways you haven't killed me yet." She had hoped her tone and words came off light and casual to spite the pit in her stomach.

"True, but I've been too busy for a brainstorming session."

"Doing what?" she had demanded skeptically.

"Why don't you come find out?" He had been teasing her, but there was also a small undercurrent of something in his voice that seemed akin to manic glee. Almost like he was bursting to tell her his secret after all, but also enjoyed being coy. When she hadn't immediately responded, he continued: "Look, since I'm a generous mood, I will be willing to give you three clues. One, I may be in one of the thirteen original colonies. Two, the town may be named after a geographic feature paired with a synonym for the occult. Three...hmm...I lied about having a third one."

She had been scrambling around the house at this point, frantically searching for a pen and paper only to come up empty. And of course the searching had proved distracting and she realized she had only been paying half-attention to his words.

"Kai, wait a minute. What-"

"Hope you put that degree of yours to good use," he interrupted. "Bye, babe." The dial-tone had seemed especially cruel just then, but Skye came to the conclusion it was really just the guy that had preceded it.

It taken her a while to figure out the stupid clues-she spent two weeks huddled in a library in Lawrence, Kansas, pouring over a map of the United States and history books, paying close attention to the East Coast. Amazingly, she had narrowed it down to one town, but only after she racked her brain to remember word for word the clues he had given her.

Now, Skye made her way down the road, walking, into the township of Mystic Falls. She had abandoned the car in favor of being inconspicuous. She didn't want alert Kai to her arrival just yet. First, she wanted figure out just what he was up to, then she planned to make her presence known in the most dramatic and epic way. Perhaps, it could involve a baseball bat straight to his skull. It was fun having the upper hand sometimes.

* * *

Skye set up camp in a house across from the only grocery store in town. Knowing Kai as well as she unfortunately did, he would undoubtedly be stopping by anytime for his fix of saturated fat. The boy had disgusting eating habits-his obsession with pork rinds was her least favorite.

She had rummaged through the ranch home on her arrival, and to her surprised elation, did actually come across an aluminum baseball bat in what appeared to be the room of a male child. She had walked back to living room, and propped it against the wall right next to the window.

Now, she was occupying herself, taking strategic peeks through the curtains of the window.

For thirty minutes, she repeated the process. Peek and duck, peek and duck. Until she glimpsed something she'd never thought she'd see and complete shock took over her body. With her mouth wide open, Sky watched as two very unfamiliar strangers walked into the store. One stranger was a male with dark hair, which could have easily been Kai, but he looked shorter and his gait was more fluid and relaxed. Also, he was wearing plaid-a Kai fashion don't. Kai also definitely couldn't be the accompanying stranger because she was a female with shoulder length brown hair and brown skin. Skye rubbed her eyes, but when she opened them she could still see their figures through the storefront windows.

"Oh my god," Skye whispered. So this was why Kai had come here.

She ducked down again, but this time she slouched against the wall. Bringing her hands up to her temples, she sorted through a plan of action. She could approach them right now-that's what her instincts were screaming at her to do. Her uncertainty, however, was battling her instincts. First, she had no idea who these strangers were. Second, Kai was still unaccounted for. But her excitement over the strangers was threatening to burst forth and compel her to act.

She stood and grabbed the bat, ready to head out of the door when, through the window, she finally spotted _him _walking around the corner of the store_. _She was sure it was him, his walk was more measured and he was the right height. His clothes were the biggest indicator-layers, a green canvas jacket paired with a t-shirt.

He came up to the mechanical carousel by the entrance, and...put a quarter in it? The recorded music chimed out and reached her hideout. Skye furrowed her brow as Kai quickly walked back around the corner from where he had came. It clicked, though, when the strangers came out and approached the horse cautiously. They didn't know Kai was there, which meant he was playing with them. _Once a sadist, always a sadist, _she thought. She continued to watch the strangers as they struggled to figure out their situation, and argued with each other before the girl walked away and the man strode back into the store.

* * *

Kai lounged on the patio chair inside the grocery store, and popped another pork rind in his mouth. Damon and Bonnie bickering over his games with them never ceased to amuse him, but he figured it was finally time to put his plan into action. Especially since Skyler had arrived to join the party.

He smiled to himself, reminiscing about the last time they had seen each other. Meetings between the two usually went one of two ways: with one of them dead or with sex. He hadn't really been in the mood for the latter. Knives were usually his first choice of weapon, but there was something to be said about fire. The burn and whelps it left behind. And her strangled screams had been delightful; he was one hundred percent sure they were his favorite sound.

He was still thinking about it when Damon the vampire made his requisite appearance in the liquor, stepping up to the chair Kai was occupying with a slight bewildered expression.

"Rough day, huh, Damon?" Kai greeted. When Damon said nothing, staring back blankly. Kai continued: "Sorry, manners. I'm Kai. Nice to meet you." Kai held his bag out, offering. "Pork Rind?" He shook it while waiting for Damon to speak, just one word, he would take any word at this point. But Damon just stared until his dark brows drew together.

Growing bored, Kai started rocking the chair and resumed munching.

"That is going to have to stop." Finally, a sentence.

"Oh, you think this is annoying," Kai countered. "Hmm, try listening to you and Bonnie bicker every five minutes." He drove home his point with a loud crunch.

"So you've been following us?"

"Of course I have. You two are the closest thing I have to a T.V. I mean you're no _Baywatch_, but-" Kai interrupted himself, his tone taking on a sense of nostalgia, "Remember _Baywatch_?"

"No, I do not." Damon said shortly.

"Oo, oh man, you gotta watch it. You like lifeguards, like hot ones?" Kai asked while waggling his eyebrows. Kai figured this would push Damon over the edge, and he was right.

"This has been a monumentally bad day in a sea of bad days so I'm gonna need to know who you are, what you're doing here, and how it relates to me. Or I'm gonna rip your throat out." Damon snapped.

Kai took on a mock sympathetic tone with his next words, "That temper's gonna get you in trouble, Damon. It's already driven Bonnie away how many times? Oh, wait! I know! Thirteen."

"You think my temper's bad with her?" Damon asked. "I _like _her. You, not so much." Then he struck, using his inhuman speed to grab Kai by the collar, out of the chair, and into the air.

"Okay, okay, sorry," Kai back-tracked, his expression scared. "Seriously, I'm just kinda rusty on the face to face type human interactions."

Damon released him, with a snarl. Kai back away quickly. "Answers. Now." Damon commanded, walking back to the shelf lined with the assortment of alcohol.

"Maybe you should have a drink," Kai suggested. "It usually calms you down."

"Thanks," Damon said, giving him a dubious look.

"Then it makes you angry, then sad, then calm again. It's a weird cycle."

Damon opened a bottle of bourbon, and tipped it towards Kai sarcastically. However, Kai kept talking while Damon lifted the bottle to his lips. "And look, if you really want to know the reason I'm following you, it's because I want to kill you." Damon spit out the amber liquid in an explosive stream and fell to his knees, coughing. Kai looked out on to the scene with a wide grin and chuckled. Damon was completely on the floor now, his mouth irritated and red, choking up more liquid. "Vervain in your bourbon," Kai said. "Who didn't see that one coming?"

As Damon tried to get his bearings, Kai commenced a tirade, throwing out his hands and walking back to the patio furniture display. "Who buys patio furniture from a grocery store? I mean somebody must, otherwise it wouldn't be here." Grabbing an umbrella, he turned back to Damon. "Now, I'm a little unfamiliar with vampires-" Kai snapped the wooden umbrella handle over his leg, "-but from what I've gathered, a stake in the heart should do it, right?" Kai threw the handle behind himself casually and brought down the umbrella top with force. Damon had held out his hand to fend off the attack, but the jagged point pinned it to the floor. He let out a loud groan of pain. Kai twisted the umbrella slowly while Damon glared back with murderous eyes. "You always fight dirty, Damon. That time you and Bonnie played Monopoly and you stole from the bank. Not cool." Damon ripped his hand back, and stood. Kai had retreated, tipping the umbrella to rest on his shoulder.

"I'm gonna rip your head off," Damon threatened.

"No, you're not," Kai stated calmly. Damon started forward menacingly, but Kai swung his umbrella along the shelves, breaking all the bottles in the process. Glass and liquid exploded onto the floor and Damon, who fell to his knees again with a yell, being burnt. He groaned. "I didn't know which bottle you'd take so I vervained them all," Kai admitted. He raised the umbrella overhead, ready to make the killing stroke. He didn't really need him after all, though it kind of sucked that his plan wasn't working.

"Stay away from him," a new voice spoke. Scratch that, Bonnie had come. Kai was excited but he didn't let it show. He was hoping she'd live up to his expectations, especially in this situation. Kai raised his eyes to her, while Damon looked towards her hopefully.

"The useless one is here," Kai goaded. "Thank god. You know, I've tried to watch you do magic for months now. What're you going to do? Fail at me? It's embarrassing; I'm embarrassed for you." Bonnie just held Kai eyes, looking vulnerable, his words obviously getting to her, but she looked down at Damon, who was slowly healing, with a small degree of desperation.

Kai raised the umbrella again, but Bonnie looked over at the candle on the shelf adjacent. She concentrated and the candle lit on its own. A small smirk graced Damon's face. Giving a small, almost unbelieving laugh,Bonnie looked towards a worried Kai with triumph. "Uh oh," he said.

"Run," she commanded Damon, who immediately vamped out. "_Phasmatos Incendia_." The alcohol on the floor caught fire, surrounding Kai.

"Okay," Kai said, trying to placate, holding his hands up in surrender. He tossed the ruined umbrella aside, "Okay, okay."

"Giving up so soon?" Bonnie mocked. "I'm embarrassed for you."

Kai didn't have time to react to her words, before Damon was knocking him over the head with the umbrella handle and with enough force to send him flying into lawn chairs.

"Sorry I called you the most annoying person in the world," Damon said to Bonnie. "I hadn't met him yet."

* * *

The strangers emerged from the grocery store just ten minutes after Skye had witnessed the girl go in again. However, this time they held an unconscious Kai between them-the girl supporting his arms while the man held his legs. She chuckled to herself. If they could handle Kai, maybe, they could actually be of help to her. At least that's what she hoped.

The strangers loaded Kai into the back seat of a powder blue Camaro and got in, pulling out of the parking lot moments later. Skye quickly grabbed the bat and dashed out of the door. Running up to the sidewalk, she craned her neck up the street. They were going straight, and she started to trail after the car, with the intention to trace its path.

* * *

Kai awoke in a chair, already annoyed with the throbbing of his head. He opened his eyes, and stretched his neck. He knew he was back at the massive, overly brown house. What they called the Salvatore boarding house, the headquarters of Damon and Bonnie all these months. He looked over to his left, seeing Damon standing in front of roaring fireplace with a bag of pork rinds in one hand and a fire poker in the other.

"You're awake," Damon stated the obvious while Kai flexed his bound hands. "Good, now for the Q&amp;A portion of the evening."

"Let me guess," Kai said. "I answer right, I get a pork rind. Wrong, I get a poker."

Damon glanced down at the bag. "What? No, no, no." He hid the bag behind his back. "These are for me, you just get the poker." He prodded Kai's chest with the poker.

"Yeah, you don't have to do that," Kai reasoned.

"No?" Damon asked, hitting it against Kai's shoulder.

"We're on the same team," Kai said, his face serious as the poker sailed over his head to his other shoulder.

"Really?" Bonnie broke in, stepping closer to him. "Do you always try and kill your teammates?"

Kai ignored her question. "The important thing is that you have your magic back. It worked." Bonnie and Damon traded doubtful glances. "You didn't- You didn't really think I'd kill Damon, did you?" The witch's and the vampire's expressions assured him that they really believed the idea.

Laughing incredulously, Kai asked, "In what universe does that make sense? I wouldn't kill one-fourth of our population. I'm not a monster." The two idiots just stared back at him, waiting for his rationale. They hadn't even noticed his little slip of the tongue, though Damon had raised one of his fascinatingly expressive eyebrows. Or if they both had caught it, they weren't concerned with it. Not that there was anything to fear from Skyler, except excessive crying.

Deciding to square with them, he explained himself. "I knew Bonnie would show up. She always comes back. All thirteen times. And I knew with the right motivation, she'd be able to access her magic." Now, they were getting it. But he wanted to make them uncomfortable, so he continued. "Although I did get a little worried with all your bickering that Damon's life wouldn't be enough motivation. But turns out, it was. I guess that's just how you two show your love."

"So you did all that just to make sure I'd have my magic?" Bonnie asked skeptically.

"Of course I did," Kai said, like it should make all the sense in the world. "Because your magic is the key to getting the hell out of here."

This information settled over the both of them heavily for a moment, before Damon spoke up, an eyebrow raised. "Wait a minute, you said one-fourth earlier. One-fourth of the population." Damon leveled the poker at Kai's throat. "Either you're really bad at math, or there's something else you're not telling us." Kai just started back steadily, a smirk across his face.

That's when the three sharp knocks sounded at the front door.

"There she is," Kai said fondly, her timing was always impeccable.

"She?" Damon questioned, already vamp speeding to the door. Bonnie followed him at a more human pace, curiosity written over her face.

"Thanks for tying me up, guys. I just love bondage," Kai said to the empty room.

In the foyer, Damon opened the wooden door to reveal a tall, averagely built girl with blonde hair and an heart-shaped face, dressed casually, a baseball bat dangling at her side. She looked nervous, and gripped the bat tightly.

"Hi," she said simply.

"Took you long enough!" Kai shouted distantly.

_A/N: Hi, everyone. Welcome to my new fanfiction-the first one I've had in years. I just wanted to see how I've improved as a writer, and what better way than to explore Kai, Mystic Falls's best psycho to date. I hope I keep true to his character. I fear that this chapter isn't all that interesting, (please feel free to disagree in a review) (or agree, as long as it's constructive) but I promise the next chapter will be better. _

_P.S. The title comes from Raleigh Ritchie's song, "Bloodsport." It pretty much encapsulates Kai's and Skye's weird, little quasi-romantic relationship. Give it a listen if you want. _


	2. Chapter 2

Set during 6x04, "Black Hole Sun"

_Some want to kiss, some want to kick you_

_There's not a net you couldn't slip through_

_Or at least that's the impression I get_

_Cause you're smooth and you're wet_

_And she's not aware yet, but she's yours_

_She'll be sayin' "Use me"_

_I doubt it's your style_

_Not to get what you set out to acquire_

_The eyes are on fire_

_You are the unforecasted storm_

"_Brianstorm"- Arctic Monkeys_

Chapter 2 - The Unforecasted Storm

_Fall of 1992, Library, University of Oregon_

_Skye liked working in the library, but only when she didn't have to restock the books on the shelves. Some of the deepest corners of the vast, cavernous library, like the one she was working in now, were ill-lit and eerily silent. She often felt like she wasn't alone, or that she saw shadows in her periphery. Tonight was no exception, especially since night had fallen, and she was trying to make quick work of the stocking and completely absorbed in the task. So absorbed she didn't see the figure approaching from behind. She didn't feel them either until they had reached their hand up to push a book she was struggling with further in on a tall shelf. She reacted violently, jumping and nearly shouting "Oh my god." Putting a hand to her chest, in an effort to calm her palpitating heart, she turned quickly to the intruder. It was a boy, tall and lean, with short dark hair and a narrow, but handsome and angular face. _He's actually kinda hot_, she thought. He was grinning, showcasing square white teeth. _

"_So sorry. I didn't mean to sneak up on you," he laughed. He seemed amused by her reaction. She just stared at him, flustered and blushing. His eyes-they looked black almost in the dim aisle; uneasiness caused a tingling over her skin. Trying to collect herself, she attempted to laugh with him. "I'm sorry," she said, "I almost screamed your ear off." _

"_Yep," he agreed, but he reached up to pull on his earlobe. "Though still attached, so no harm done." _

_Giving him a genuine smile for his playfulness, she calmed down and gestured back to the shelf. "Thanks for the help, I guess, with the book." _

"_No problem." The boy's teeth were doing something weird to her, she felt like she was in a haze. "Actually, I had approached you because I was wondering if you could help me to find this book." Handing her a slip of paper, she read the call number for the book. _

"_The Human Anatomy?" she asked, already headed down the aisle in the right direction. _

"_Yeah," he confirmed, trailing along side her. "Pre-med major, sophomore year. You?" _

"_English Lit, also a sophomore." The boy smirked instead this time, his white teeth disappearing. Holding out his hand for her to shake, he introduced himself. "Kai Parker. Nice to meet you." _

_She took his hand, it was warm and large, and enclosed over her's for a moment too long. "Skye Lambert." _

* * *

"And, of course, I broke into the oval office and took a picture of myself at the window, looking all JFK. But then I was like, 'Wait, how am I gonna get these photos developed?"

Kai was babbling again, and all Skye could do was lean back against the chair she was bound to and rhythmically bang her head against it. Eyeing Damon, she could tell he was just annoyed as with Kai as she was.

Thinking back to the night before, Skye cringed. She had just said "hi" to them, the strangers she now knew as Damon and Bonnie. She had simply stood and said "hi," and Damon and Bonnie just stared back at her in muted surprise. Her nerves had gotten the best of her. It didn't matter though, because not two seconds after her embarrassing greeting, the bat was forced off of her grip and she was whisked inside the house. The next thing she knew she was bound in an armchair next to a guffawing Kai, and in front of a glaring Damon, with the bat in his grip. Bonnie trailed back into the room slowly, with a watchful gaze. Skye recalled Kai telling her long ago about other supernatural creatures - once she was finally able to coax the real story of what happened _that night _out of him- ones that could move at such speeds that Damon had just demonstrated. He was a vampire.

"Who is she and why did she have a bat?" Damon had directed his question at Kai, while twirling the bat around in a circular motion, like a baseball player on deck.

"The bat was for protection against _him_," Skye said, indicating Kai with a flick of her head. "Not to hurt you guys."

But Damon ignored her. "Again I ask, who is she?"

Kai just smirked, and slouched down in his chair. "Bonnie and Damon, meet Skyler, my girlfriend."

"It's Skye," Skye interjected, then she scowled at Kai. "And I believe the correct term is _ex_-girlfriend."

Damon simply watched their interaction, then turned sideways to shoot Bonnie a look. "Skye and Kai? Cute," he remarked, turning back and wrinkling his nose.

This continued well into the night, Damon trying and failing to pry viable information out of them. Kai was the king of rambling, and she was his silent queen, partly because she couldn't get in a word edgewise, but mostly because she knew Kai was circumventing the truth for a reason. She didn't want to cross him, or interfere with his plan. She was certain he had one. Even when he was tied up, the asshole still had the upper hand. She just hoped it also worked in her favor, despite wanting Damon and Bonnie to like her. Skye noticed Damon's hand twitching towards the bat every now and again, but figured he only refrained from torture because of Bonnie's presence. When Damon would directly address her (usually in the moments Kai would pause to take a breathe), she would simply answer, with no small amount of internalized guilt, that Kai told the story better.

"Oh my god, just answer the damn question." Damon's snap brought her back to the present. "How are we gonna get out of this Twilight Zone?"

"I have a question for you first," Kai retorted, while Damon slammed his hand down against his arm rest in frustration. "Why do you think we're stuck on a repeating loop of May 10th, 1994? Doomed to relive a solar eclipse forever and ever and ever."

"How the hell should I know?" Damon raised his glass of bourbon to his lips and took a sip. "What about her?" he said, tipping the glass in Skye's direction. "Does she know? Bet she wouldn't tell me if she did." Skye stayed silent predictably and Kai ignored him, in favor of being nosy.

"Well, actually, I heard you tell Bonnie this place was your own personal hell. I'm kinda curious why," Kai said. Skye was curious, too, but they were interrupted by the arrival of Bonnie, back from her retrieval trip at Kai's request.

"Okay, I got everything you asked for. Can opener, shower drain, grinding wheel, jam, pocket knife, volume 'O' of the encyclopedia, a nail, and a black marker," she listed, as poured the contents of the bag onto a coffee table, and Kai sat up straighter in his seat, visibly more excited. Skye grew tenser, not sure what Kai was up to.

"Now what?" Bonnie questioned.

"Can't show with my hands taped," Kai replied. Bonnie picked up the pocket knife and started towards him.

"Bonnie," Damon protested. Bonnie ignored him.

"Thank you," Kai said exaggeratingly. She freed Kai, and then stepped over to Skye, cutting off her tape with a quick motion. "Thanks," Skye muttered to Bonnie.

"Okay, fine," Damon conceded, while Kai stretched out his hand. Skye stood, the cramps in her legs were fierce and she stretched too. She stepped around Bonnie and Kai, headed straight for Damon's elaborate set up of alcohol on the table behind the couch. "Yay, alcohol," she sighed happily. She glanced up at Damon, who had been watching her movements with a distrustful eye and a curled lip. "May I?" she asked, touching the lid of the crystal decanter.

He stared at her with the same expression for a moment longer, then said flatly, "Knock yourself out."

She poured the amber liquid into a tumbler, and sipped with her eyes closed, glad to feel the burn as the liquor slid down her throat.

"You'll have to excuse Skyler, she's a bit of a lush," Kai explained, with a hint of humor in his voice. He gazed at Skye, a smirk present on his lips.

"Don't care," Damon responded. "Now, how's this pile of crap going to get us out of here?"

Eyes still on Skye, while rubbing his wrists, Kai answered, "I explain as soon as you tell me what you did on May 10th, 1994."

"What difference does it make?" Damon exclaimed.

"We'll put it this way," Kai said. Gesturing to Bonnie, he continued: "Bonnie's magic is one part of the equation. My as yet undisclosed knowledge is the other, which means you'd be hitching a ride home for free. I just wanna know if you deserve to come along." All Skye heard was the phrase 'Bonnie's magic', so Bonnie was a witch-this meant a lot to her; it meant her freedom from this unnatural place, and she could finally see why Kai was reluctant to explain the story about how they'd come to be trapped here.

"What about her?" Damon exploded, fanning his arms back to Skye. She came back to attention. "Where does she factor into the equation? What does she bring to the table? Besides creepy silence."

"She's got a great rack," Kai shrugged, sending Skye a wink.

Damon turned in his ire, to examine her chest. He pulled back his head, and his mouth turned down at the corners: the universal expression for "meh, not bad." Bonnie just stood still next to Kai, looked disgusted.

Skye folded her arms over her chest, and took a long drag of bourbon. "You're both dicks."

But Damon had moved on, pulling the pocket knife from Bonnie's grasp, he gripped Kai by the collar and pulled him up from the chair with the blade to his throat. "Or, you know, I could just torture you until you say something useful."

"If you torture me, I'll get mad," Kai said, acting as if he was speaking to a child. "And then I won't wanna help you." Turning to Bonnie, he asked, "What kind of person needs to have that explained to them?"

Bonnie grabbed the knife from Damon grip, and Damon released Kai unceremoniously. Kai chuckled, then looked up towards Skye, who had been watching the whole exchange with some trepidation. He pointed to Damon's back, and grinned. He was wordlessly saying, "Can you believe this guy?" Skye just gave him a fake smile, not really sharing his amusement.

Kai proceeded to the couch and sat - this meant that his back was to Skye. She moved around the corner of the couch, and sat herself on the opposite end. Kai made no notice of her movement, as occupied as he was opening the jam jar and giving all his attention to the witch and the vampire .

Meanwhile, Bonnie chastised Damon through gritted teeth, "Play nice."

"Stop trying to impress the new guy."

"Why don't you just tell him your story?" Bonnie reasoned.

"Maybe 'cause I don't wanna talk about the worse thing I ever did, Bonnie."

"Ooh," Kai burst out, "Now, I'm listening." He dipped his hand into the jam and shoved the squishy substance into his mouth in the most disgusting, unforgiving fashion. Skye almost gagged aloud.

* * *

Kai was stretched out on the couch now, head on Skye's lap, fiddling with a can opener and the lid to the jam jar. Skye had tried several times to shove his head off her lap, but he would just persistently resume the same position, unperturbed. Eventually she gave up, and just sat, tense and bored, fighting the impulse to pour her drink over his head. She wished she was on the opposite end of the couch, and that Kai was wearing shorts-then she could've played odds and evens with his leg hairs to entertain herself.

Damon and Bonnie were still in the same spot; Bonnie was repeatedly trying to persuade Damon to cooperate while Damon held his fingers to the bridge of his nose in annoyance.

"I need to be entertained while I work," Kai chimed out. "Hell story, please."

"Remind me not to kill him," Damon said to Bonnie.

"Maybe telling him your story will take your mind off it," she replied.

"Whose side are you on?" Skye laughed to herself at his tone.

"The one where we get to go home to the people we love," Bonnie said earnestly.

"Humor him," Skye suggested. "It's the only way he'll shut up." She refused to look down at said he as she made the statement, instead volunteering to drain her cup.

"She's not wrong," Kai agreed, absentmindedly. He ran the can opener around the lid once again.

"Fine," Damon started. "In May 1994, I was living here. I'd come home to walk the straight and narrow…"

He launched into his story - Skye paid rapt attention. Apparently, the vampire had a brother named Stefan intent on redeeming him of his liberal vampire nature. Damon had come home to live with Stefan, and their descendant Zack in their ancestral home, the Boarding House -the almost mansion their little ragtag group was lounging in currently. Apparently, Zack also had a pregnant girlfriend, who constantly craved blueberries pancakes; Damon relayed this information very matter-of-factly, but the thought of the pregnant women made Skye uncomfortable. She could guess where the story was probably headed; she had a degree in literature after all and story-telling was all about what her creative writing professor called "relevant details."

Kai, however, not paying the same amount of attention to Damon, started snoring softly.

Damon stopped his story, observing Kai. "Perfect, our savior's insane and narcoleptic."

"Just insane," Skye said. Kai's eyes snapped open at her remark; they held a warning. She made a sarcastic face back at him in answer, unfazed. He held her gaze briefly, fire in his eyes, before turning his head to Damon. "No, no, no, Damon. I'm awake. Let me guess, you killed the pregnant woman."

"Shut up, Kai. You weren't listening."

"I was listening, in my sleep," Kai contended. Finally, he sat up, and Skye relaxed. "You were hanging out with your distant nephew Zack, who you called Uncle Zack, because that's not confusing. Plus, pregnant lady Gail, who had a big bulls-eye on her chest. Got it."

"Tell me you didn't kill a pregnant women," Bonnie said to Damon. Skye could now pin her as naive.

"Oh, that's totally what happened," Kai said, now hunched slightly, messing with the other items on the table. "Why else would today be his personal hell?" Skye found it odd that Kai could sense and understand the implied remorse of the situation when he felt none himself, but she said nothing.

Instead, she watched as Damon menacingly approached the table, knelt down at the edge and set his tumbler of bourbon down.

"Oh, here we go," Kai muttered.

"The only reason you're alive right now is because I thought you could get us out of here and you could help us," Damon started, his rage steadily showing itself with each word. "But you don't _have _any answers." Grabbing the abandoned jam jar, he threw it down with force and it sailed to the other side of the table. "You're just a man-child with jam on his fingers."

Skye couldn't help but let out a snort at his insult. Damon glanced at her for a second while Kai turned back and glared. Bonnie, however, kept her worried gaze on the the two men, the tension thick between them. After a moment, Damon and Kai resumed their intense staring match. Skye could practically smell the testosterone. "Okay," Kai finally said. "To get home, we'll harness the power of the eclipse, using a mystical relic. It's called an Ascendant." He held up the contraption he'd composed of all the weird items. "And it looks like this, Damon." Damon stared. Skye figured it would be fair to call him dumbfounded, like he couldn't believe there might be a method to Kai's madness.

Kai went on, "Last time we had it was in the Pacific Northwest. Oregon." He opened the encyclopedia to the map, and set it down on the table.

"We?" Bonnie queried, taking a step closer.

"It belonged to my family." Skye's stomach clenched at the mention of Kai's family. "So here's a little blood to get you started." Grabbing the pocket knife, Kai seemed to glance at her furtively before he slashed his middle finger open. "Now all we need is a locator spell to pinpoint its whereabouts." He stood, smug. Skye was confused, but she maintained a neutral expression. She knew that Kai already had the Ascendant on him; he had retrieved it the first year they were here and he'd had kept it ever since. She didn't understand why he was performing this particular charade.

Damon had stood too and now leaned towards Bonnie, "Think you can find our ticket out of here, Bon Bon?" he asked.

"Hell yeah," she answered confidently. Skye was still tense, but she let a little bit of hope blossomed in her at Bonnie's promise.

* * *

The party of four had moved on in their day, to the next order of business, which involved a magical LoJack on Kai's "mystical relic." Kai and Bonnie were in the dining room, the encyclopedia laid open on the table, with a crimson drop resting in the corner of the map, and lit candles surrounded the lay out.

Bonnie chanted, "_Phasmatos Tribum Nas Ex Veras Sequita Saguines..._ " Kai stood to the side, behind an ornate, plush dining chair, closely observing Bonnie's movements.

Damon strolled to the bar, in the other, opened room, and Skye was hot on his tail. Laying down the newspaper on the table, he quickly filled his own glass.

"It doesn't feel right, I -" Bonnie said, putting a hold on her magic chant. "Maybe, I need a bigger map."

"Maybe, you're just out of practice, and you suck at magic now," Damon countered.

Skye held out her empty glass expectantly, and Damon kindly refilled it.

"Ignore him, Bonnie," Kai suggested. "Pretend he's a white noise machine." This statement was said a little more loudly, and in Damon's direction.

"Funny Kai, that's how I tune you out," Skye quipped, before taking a long drag.

Damon smirked at her in approval. "You know, this might be the bourbon talking, but I'm actually starting to like you. Because you hate him and you know how to hold your liquor." Skye just smiled back, genuinely, for the first time in what felt like ages.

Unbeknownst to the pair, Kai had his jaw clenched and his lethal gaze fixed upon them. Turning to Bonnie, he said, "That's how I used to tune out my siblings." He started around the table to her side. "I grew up with a _ton _of little sisters and brothers. You know, _all _of them constantly yammering. But it taught me how to focus." He had his hand on the table now, leaning closer to Bonnie, his face a few inches from her. Their gazes locked. Damon was still in his spot, watching Kai critically. Skye just kept sipping her bourbon, her stomach churning at Kai's continued talk of his siblings, not caring for one minute about Kai's flirting with the witch she was so focused on his words.

"Easy there, big brother," Damon chastised, and Kai and Bonnie whipped their heads around to him. "She doesn't know you. At least, buy her a drink." Draining his glass, Damon walked off in the direction of the foyer.

Skye set her empty glass down next to his, and decided to lay off of it for awhile since her head felt like it was on fire and she was getting woozy, starting to see double. _And two Kais are definitely scarier than one,_ she thought. She approached the dining table; Bonnie had switched out the encyclopedia for a bigger map, this one showing the whole of the U.S., and Kai was now standing on Bonnie's other side, but giving her some distance to do her magic. Bonnie barely glanced up at Skye's approach, but Kai did. His eyes held the same warning from earlier, and as tempted as she was to blurt out to Bonnie that Kai was playing her, she also didn't want to get strangled later. She couldn't permanently die from it, but that didn't mean it didn't cause excruciating pain.

Bonnie began chanting again, "_Phasmatos Tribum Nas Ex Veras Sequita Saguines…" _and Damon reentered the room as the blood on the map steadily moved southwest from Oregon.

"The blood's moving towards Virginia, that can't be right." Kai was convincing in his pretend disbelief, but Bonnie surprised Skye when she said in reply, "Nu-uh. The spell's working. It's showing me Mystic Falls. It feels so-" Turning toward him, she stepped closer until her hand was on his jacket. "-close," she finished, and the lit candles' flames shoot into the air wildly for a moment, as if almost affected by a strong wind. "It's right here," she said firmly, pressing her hand against his breast pocket. The candles went out. Kai looked down, and reached his hand into his jacket while Bonnie regarded him with narrowed eyes.

"Oh, very good," he said wistfully, glancing at Damon for a second before returning back to Bonnie. In his hand was the ugly metal contraption, with its sharp edges and cogs and wheels; Skye had always thought it an appropriate prison key.

"That's the Ascendant?" Bonnie asked.

"The one and only," Kai replied, with a manic smirk.

"Thanks for the mind games, jackass," Damon said flatly, his arms crossed.

"It was just another little test," Kai explained, nonchalantly. "To make sure Bonnie's magic was precise enough for the spell." All three of his companions glared at him.

"I do believe you're ready." he added. "Pack your bags, we're going home." Kai's excitement was contained, but Damon's was shown through the eyebrow wiggle and smirk he threw Bonnie's way. She smiled back. Skye watched Kai, whose gaze kept finding its way back to Bonnie, and she was scared for her new friends, not excited.

Kai rushed out of the room the next second, with the Ascendant in hand. Leaving the front door open, he wandered onto the lawn. Damon and Bonnie looked at Skye for an explanation, but she shrugged and started after him. Damon and Bonnie followed her out to the lawn, but never came in line with her as she moved to closer to Kai.

"You're wandering around like a crazy man why?" Damon asked, as they all observed Kai, who had the Ascendant lifted to the sky. With one eye closed, he was peering through a little hole in one of the device's many parts.

"I'm looking for the exact right spot," he informed, moving a few feet further to the left. "We need to find where the power of the eclipse is focused."

"You know, you could've just shown us the Ascendant to begin with," Bonnie said.

"Yeah, but I wanted to feel your hand on my chest," Kai said. Skye rolled her eyes.

"There's something not right about him," Bonnie muttered to Damon. Skye was glad to see Bonnie's bullshit detector was in good, working order. If only Skye's had been twenty years ago. Maybe, she could warn...no, she shouldn't. She didn't want to jeopardize her chance to return home, the first real, very tangible hope that presented itself as Bonnie's magic. Eyeing Kai's back, though, she realized that Damon and Bonnie, even if they found him a little weird, had no clue what Kai was capable of, and that wasn't right to her, not when they were willingly helping.

Distantly, she heard Damon as he said, "You're just not used to guys hitting on ya."

She spotted a copy of the newspaper on the lawn, crinkled irregularly; she was pretty sure Damon had been making paper airplanes with it earlier and flying them in the yard. It's headline read out in big black block letters, "Family Massacred in Portland." How convenient. Finally, Skye made her decision.

"You know, I can't wait to get out here-" Bonnie said, still in conversation with Damon. "- and talk to somebody else." Stepping over the paper, Skye kicked it behind her, then pointed down behind her back. She hoped Bonnie had caught her actions because she refused to look back and instead focused on following Kai, who was still absorbed in Ascendant alignment and appeared completely oblivious thankfully.

She heard Damon, again, "Can I just have a few lasting seconds of peace while this idiot uses that thing to get the stars to align…." and Bonnie didn't reply. Chancing a small glance back, Skye saw Bonnie with the newspaper in her hand, reading inquisitively while Damon moved past her. Bonnie glanced up, right at her, but Skye quickly turned away.

The group meandered their way across the lawn and up the driveway, staggered with Kai in the lead, Skye not far behind him, and Bonnie and Damon bringing up the rear. Bonnie was still reading while Damon asked, "What's up with the nature walk?"

"I used the Ascendant to figure out where we need to be standing during the eclipse," Kai said.

"Great, let's do some magic, and get the hell out of here."

"Oregon," Bonnie murmured to Damon. Skye knew she wasn't speaking lowly enough though, because even she, just a half-step behind Kai, could hear her.

"What?"

"I've read this paper like a thousand times. There's something in it about Oregon."

"What about it?" Both paused in their strides.

"You know Kai said he had all those brothers and sisters," Bonnie said. Damon mmm-hmmed in response, both closely watching Kai while Skye stood to the side. " 'Family Massacred in Portland,' " she read the headline aloud, and Damon grabbed the corner of the paper and turned it towards him. Kai stopped and raised the Ascendant again, and just observing his profile told Skye he was biding his time for the perfect dramatic reveal. Bonnie continued: "The only one missing was the oldest boy, a twenty-two year old named Malachai."

"Who names a kid Malachai?" Kai turned towards them, capitalizing on his moment. "It's like they expected me to be evil."

"All these kids were murdered," Bonnie said, her voice tittering on disbelief. Almost like she couldn't believe he would joke and act so casually about the situation. _Oh, but he would,_ Skye thought.

His next words were the indication of that. "Hello, not everyone died." Coming closer to Bonnie and Damon, he brushed against Skye's shoulder. She suppressed a shudder. "I had a soft spot for one of my sisters. 'Cause otherwise I would've cut her lungs out and not just her spleen."

_Josette_, Skye remembered. Kai's twin. The girl who had welcomed her with a hug upon her arrival. She had graduated with a pre-medical degree a few days before, like Kai.

"What?" Bonnie was at a loss, still incredulous at Kai's glibness.

"You can survive without a spleen," Kai burst out, his smile wide but cold.

"Something tells me you're not speaking hypothetically," Damon said.

Kai shifted to Bonnie's side and pointed at the youth's pictures in the paper. "Well, these two I hung off the stairwell railing - " He wasn't even hiding his nostalgic glee. His brother's and sister's names appeared instantaneously in Skye's mind. Isaac, age 8; with dark hair and blue-gray eyes not unlike his brother, he had been reading comic books all day, and debating the pros and cons of superheroes with her. Nicoletta, age 13, skinny, she had told Skye her hair was pretty and asked how she got it to lay like that? " - then I put a hunting knife in her abdomen." 16 year old, bespectacled Eva had hardly paid attention to Skye, because she had her nose buried in a book. "And him I drowned in the pool," Kai finished. Blond and eleven, Joseph had been begging Kai all day to play Nintendo with him. "But he kept fighting me, and I was like, "I saved you for last, you ungrateful, little…" Kai trailed off, lost in the memory. "Anyway, that was that." He walked back to his former spot.

"You just killed your whole family?" Bonnie asked, weakly.

"Coven to be precise. Oh, you know, a family of witches," Kai clarified.

"You're making her jump through hoops and you're a witch?" Damon asked. To Skye, he seemed less perturbed about Kai's homicidal behavior, but then again he was a vampire. And from the sound of that story earlier in the day, probably not a very conservative one.

"Sort of, yeah," Kai nodded. "No powers, obviously. Ah, and of course, the Gemini coven did not take it too well when they heard what I did in Portland. That's why they banished me here."

"This place is a prison," Bonnie told Damon. "They created it for you." The last part was directed at Kai.

"Yep. This isn't your hell, Damon. It's mine."

"And mine," Skye interjected. Both Bonnie and Damon heads whipped over to her, like they had forgotten she was there.

"You." Damon pointed at her. "I'm taking your lack of surprise to mean you actually knew about this."

" 'Knew about this,' " Bonnie repeated, ignoring Skye's widen eyes and slight head shake which desperately asked her to stop talking. "She's the one that practically handed me the paper."

Kai set his gaze on Skye meditatively, "Hmm, interesting," he murmured. Skye wondered how he was going to torture her this time, especially with Bonnie and Damon around. _Probably pretty easily_, her brain countered. After this, they would probably label her as a sociopath and didn't care what would happen to her.

She couldn't give too much thought to it before Bonnie turned away, and headed quickly to the front door.

"Whoa, where are you going?" Damon called after her, and started to follow. "We've got an eclipse to jump through, or whatever."

Kai stayed behind for a full minute, with a rigid stance, and indifferent expression, trying to unnerve Skye. But she just crossed her arms defensively and glowered. She refused to go in front of him. And growing bored, he finally took off after the others, his long legs carrying him swiftly.

Finally making her way across the yard, she caught Damon's and Bonnie's argument as it drifted through the open door Kai lingered in. "We're not letting Kai out of here. Okay? He just said he was a serial killer." _Technically_, thought Skye, _he's a mass murder, but semantics, whatever._

"I don't care. I wanna get out of here."

"How can you not care? Maybe because of all the horrible things you've done? Maybe because killing a bunch of kids is not a big deal to someone who's murdered a pregnant woman? Am I wrong?" Damon didn't respond. Moving to the doorway herself, as Kai moved further into the foyer, Skye saw that Damon had walked away. He had gone to the bar again, poured a drink, and resumed his story from earlier, about why this day had a special significance to him.

Apparently, he had too liberal with his blood drinking which forced his brother to lock him in a dark shed with no daylight ring. To get back at Stefan, when the eclipse hit, he had stole across the yard in the shade it provided, drained every boarder, and threatened Zack's pregnant girlfriend right to Stefan's and Zack's faces. Overcome with rage, he had bit and drained Gail. As he told the story, though, Skye could see a difference between him and Kai. While they both had mass-murdered, Damon told his story with a edge of regret clear in his voice while Kai's had held nothing but nonchalance.

"Ouch, poor Nephew/Uncle Zack," Kai quipped when Damon paused. Bonnie appeared still and small from Skye's vantage point.

Damon set his glass down with a thunk and glared at Kai. "Stefan compelled Uncle Zack to forget about the girlfriend and the baby. But he couldn't cover up all those murders." He moved back to the foyer. "The Founder's council was restarted, and Stefan took off. Left Mystic Falls for about fifteen years. We both did."

Looking Bonnie straight in the eyes intensely, Damon reached his point. "And when I saw Uncle Zack again, I couldn't look at him without remembering I had ruined everything. So it was a nice relief when I got to kill him." Bonnie's shoulders were heaving, but Damon went on. "Okay, can we go back now?"

"Oh, come on, Bonnie," Kai added. "You wanna go home to your friends." Holding out his arm towards Skye, he said, "Skye wants to go back home to her family, believe me, it's all she whines about. I don't know the feeling because I just wanna go back and give the rest of the Gemini Coven an excruciating death. Win wins, all around."

Bonnie backed away from him during the speech, but now Damon was invading her newly found space, lowly speaking. "Look, I know this guy's not a model citizen or whether the girl is, okay, Bonnie? But I gonna get back, not just for Elena, but for my brother."

"I'm sorry, Damon," she said with regret.

"Sorry doesn't work for me," Kai said, as he started forward and reached out towards Bonnie. In the next moment, he was pinned to the wall by Damon.

"We might be having a little bit of a disagreement, but _ever _lay a hand on her," he threatened.

"Kind of a non-issue now," said Kai, as he turned his head to the look at the outside through the open door. "Missed today's eclipse. Rain-check for tomorrow?"

"No," Bonnie said lightly as she moved out the door, brushing past Skye. Skye immediately set off after her.

_A/N - This update was originally intended to be longer, to follow the whole episode, but I had already made you guys wait two weeks, and I wanted to give you something for all your incredible support. So just know that the second part to this, now Chapter 3, is already underway, and more Skye-centric, with more original content. _

_Anyway, thank you so much for all the follows and favorites! Also, to the reviewers: _

_louiseinwonderland__: Thanks so much for the kind words and encouragement! I hope this update lives up to your expectations. _

_loveteenwolfoc__: I wanted to reply to this in French, but I don't trust Google translate to do me justice, so I hope it's okay in English. Thank you so much! I had lost interest too, but Kai's character definitely resparked it. Here's the update, I hope you like it. _

_tvshowstho__: Thank you! I hope you like the inclusion of the flashback to give you a little bit of background on their relationship. _

_Linda Ku__: Thanks so much for your enthusiasm! All your questions will be answered as the chapter progress, I promise. I think this chap. might even answer some of them now; I hope you like the answers._

_MalfoyRocks__: Thank you! I love your loyalty already. _

_XxMikealsonForeverxX__: Here's the update! Sorry, it wasn't too soon, but its here now. And I think part 2 will take even less time. _

_Amandla123__: Here it is! Sorry if it took too long. _

_DarkInMyImagination1__: Thank you! Here it is! _

_Guest: Thank you for your continued support, and reviewing almost every day. I'm sorry that it took so long, but it's here now. I am trying to be timely, but I also have to balance my college work with writing this, and it's a little difficult. _

_VampiresAndLiars__: Thank you so much! I hope you like it. _

_NicBarnes__: Lol, thank you! I hope you like it. _

_LTWOC: Again, I don't trust Google Translate so I hope it's okay that I write this response back to you in English. Thank you so much! Here's the update, I hope you like it. _

_mrsdansmith__: Thank you! I hope this update shows you more of their relationship._

_Prettygirl16__: Here it is! Hope you like it. _

_P.S. Incorporating an extra chapter means an extra spot has opened for a flashback. Is there anything you'd like to see about Kai's and Skye's relationship from the time preceding 1994? _


	3. Chapter 3

Continued during 6x04, "Black Hole Sun"

_When you lived inside of me_

_There was nothing I could conceive_

_That you wouldn't do for me_

_Trouble seemed so far away_

_You changed that right away, baby_

_Love don't live here anymore_

_Just emptiness and memories_

_Of what we had before_

_Love don't live here anymore_

_And if you break my heart_

_Then blood gonna spill here_

_Just a vacancy_

_Cross my heart_

_And hope to die_

_See you with your laughter lines_

_I'll see you there_

"_Love Don't Live Here" by Bastille_

Chapter 3 - Trouble Seemed So Far Away

_December 24, 1993_

"_Slow down, please," Skye requested. Kai ignored her. Usually, Skye would not let Kai drive her anywhere because he was a reckless maniac behind the wheel - taking sharp turns, speeding, hard braking. She wondered sometimes if his driver's license was legitimate. _

_Today was a little different, although he was still speeding a little, he seemed distracted and was being uncharacteristically quiet. _

_It had begun to snow on Interstate-5, and they were headed home for Christmas. But Kai was dropping her off in Salem at her mom's house while he went to his family's house in Portland. Skye was a little put out by the arrangement, having requesting to meet his parents and numerous siblings since the previous summer. _

"_I still don't get why I can't meet them," she said, deciding to kill the tense silence and resume their argument from earlier. _

"_Skye," Kai warned, tired of the conversation. _

"_Kai," she said back. _

"_I told you, my parents are paranoid freaks. They don't like people coming into the house. They especially wouldn't like anyone I associate with." _

_Skye rolled her eyes; she still didn't believe that his parents disliked him, though Kai insisted on it. "Like I've said, you've met my family. It's only fair." Her family was enamored with him. Her mom had bragged to her middle-aged friends about how "charming" he was. Skye was pretty sure her sister, Anya, had a crush on him since Kai had become instant friends with Anya's two-year-old son, Anthony. They had played with toy trucks and cars on the hardwood floor; he made explosion sounds whenever Anthony rammed them into walls, causing Anthony to giggle._

"_Besides," Skye continued while Kai's glowered at the windshield. "You haven't ever asked them. Can you at least ask them some time within the next three days?" He didn't answer, only clenched his jaw, and glanced at the rear-view mirror. _

_Skye leaned across the console, her face close to his shoulder. "Please," she pouted. _

"_I swear, if you start batting your eyelashes, I'm driving this car off the road," he said with force, though a small caustic laugh had broke through. _

_Skye smiled, pulling back. "If you ask and they say no, that's fine. I will stop asking," she promised. _

"_Fine, I'll ask. Just don't whine about it to me when they say no." _

_They drove another forty five minutes before Kai finally pulled up in front of Skye's house. She pulled her duffel bag from the back seat and turned towards Kai expectantly. _

"_Are you gonna come in and say hi?" _

"_No, I wanna get home before the snow gets worse," he replied. Leaning forward and reaching out his hand, he grabbed her face and planted a brief kiss on her lips. _

_After he pulled back, she opened the car door and said, "Be careful."_

_Skye stepped out of the car and Kai drove off. "Bye, Kai, love you too," she muttered to the snow swirled open air. _

* * *

_December 26, 1993 _

_The day after Christmas was almost better than Christmas Day itself for Skye. Firstly, you didn't have to cook a meal, you could eat the copious leftovers from the day before. You now had new stuff to play with, like Anthony was playing with his new train set on the floor. Not to mention new pajama outfits that you could wear as your clothes for the day. They were still showing Christmas movies on television, and no traditions to perform, so basically nothing at all to do. That's why Skye was stretched out on the couch this evening and had been most of the day while her mom and sister did the same, though in a recliner and love-seat respectively. _

_They were watching _Home Alone_, and it just gotten to the "Keep the change, ya filthy animal," part when three sharp taps sounded at the door. _

_All three women were startled, but Skye's mom started up from her seat first, "Were you girls expecting anyone?" she asked, while proceeding to the foyer. Anthony stood, his curly head wild, and followed his grandma, curious. _

"_No," Anya answered, standing up to go after Anthony who had now veered off down the hallway. _

"_Nope," Skye yawned. She remained in her position; the person was probably for Anya anyway. _

_However, she sat up a moment later, after she heard the door open and her mom exclaim, "Kai! Come in, come in. You must be freezing." _

_Skye shot up, and into the foyer, her confusion showing on her face. It was Kai, he was talking to her mother and unwrapping his wool scarf from around his neck. "Sorry to intrude. I wasn't supposed to come until tomorrow…" he trailed off and smirked when he spotted her. "Hi, babe." _

_"Hi," she said slowly, still confused. _

_Skye's mom gave a disapproving look. "Skye, go get him some hot chocolate. Make some for the rest of us too." _

"_Yeah, please make us some hot chocolate, Aunt Skye," Anya said, reappearing again at Skye's elbow with her son on her hip._

_Anthony looked towards Skye, "Pwease, Aunt Skye." _

_She smiled at him, but then looked towards Kai, who had already nodded at her sister, and grinned at Anthony. _

"_Can I greet my boyfriend first, mother?" she asked acerbically._

_Kai grinned at her tone, but her mother waved her hands in the direction of the kitchen and touched Kai's arm, leading him into the living room, Anya following with Anthony._

_A little nonplussed, she went into the kitchen and grabbed four mugs and the jug of milk out of the fridge before setting them down on the counter next to the microwave. Going to the pantry to get the chocolate powder canister, she thought about Kai's arrival and became anxious. _Why would he show up a day early? _ She hoped nothing happened while he was at home, knowing his temperament and his regard for his parents._

_Setting the canister down, she filled the mugs with milk and set them in the microwave, turning the dial to 3 minutes. She leaned against the counter, her back to the door. When the timer dinged, she pulled the mugs out, poured the powder in one, and stirred. She didn't hear or feel the presence in the room with her until hands landed on her hips, and a kiss was pressed to her jawline. She jumped, causing some brown liquid to spill out on the counter. Luckily, she wasn't burnt. _

"_Jeez, Kai, are you part feline predator or something? Who doesn't make sounds when they move?" _

_His smile was almost predatory, she observed as she turned to face him. He chuckled, "Just carrying on our meet cute tradition." _

"_Well, stop it," she said. "How did you escape my mom's clutches anyway?" _

"_Just told her I wanted to come help you," he answered, dipping his finger in the mug she had been preparing. He licked the hot chocolate off in one smooth motion with his tongue. _

"_Guess that yours now," she said, handing it to him. _

_He took it from her grasp and drank while she continued fixing the other mugs. "So why did you leave home early?" she asked._

"_I had a fight with my parents. Guess what over?" he said the last part with an overly bright voice. _

"_Oh, shit, Kai. I'm sorry," she said, turning and grabbing his free hand with both of her's. She brought it up to her face, and kissed his palm in deference and apology. She should've listened to him earlier about his parents. He did know them better after all. _

"_It's okay," he shrugged, and pulled his hand out of her grasp. She was a little hurt that he broke the contact so quickly, but she had to remind herself that he wasn't the most emotive when it came to his parents. Setting his mug down, he moved in away from her and to the fridge. "It's okay because they agreed. Do you guys have any food?"_

"_No, we subsist on air and the - wait, did you say they agreed?" _

_Giving her an unamused look, Kai took a pan from the fridge. He lifted the foil from the top to take a peak. "Yes, they finally agreed, but only after Jo spoke up, of course. 'Oh, I'd love to meet her. We can paint each other's nails and braid each other's hair. Trade period stories and talk about boys,'" he imitated, in a full falsetto. "Ooh, is this that cheesy potato stuff you make at home?" _

"_I didn't make it, but my mother did so it's probably better," she answered absently. She was still concerned with the other parts of his speech, otherwise she might have laughed at his antics. His parents had agreed, and his sister wanted to meet her; she was filled with equal parts apprehension and excitement. "Did they say when?" _

"_They said to come to the house the day after graduation," he said, before he sat the pan down, and pointed with separate hands at the two drawers on either side of her._

_Skye pulled open the drawer next to her and retrieved a fork. "But that's still a whole semester away," she complained, handing him the fork. _

_He shoved some potatoes in his mouth, and groaned. Swallowing, he shrugged. "I've said it and I'll say it again: they're whackadoodles." _

"_Won't I technically meet them at graduation?" _

"_Nope," he said, popping the 'p.' Taking another bite, Kai explained, "They're not coming to mine. Jo's is on the same day, like two hours before." _

_Skye was floored for a second, thinking she didn't hear him right. "But one of them will come to yours, right?" _

_He took another bite, and kept his face down. "No," he said, his tone impassive. _

"_Kai…" she sighed softly, at a loss for words. _

_The hot chocolate continued to sit, abandoned and ruined, on the counter._

* * *

Bonnie walked until she reached a tree on the fringe on the property, leaned against it, and breathed out heavily. Skye waited patiently, being trapped in a prison world with two murderers was heavy stuff and she could understand the need for a break, especially after hearing two incredibly detailed accounts of the actual criminal deeds themselves.

"What do you want?" Bonnie finally snapped.

"Well, first, I want to know if you're okay," Skye replied.

"I'm fine," she huffed.

"You sure sound like it," Skye retorted.

Bonnie's face grew sour, "Look, I'm not interested in being your friend. So, if you think acting concerned is going to get you anywhere with me, you can save it. We're staying here."

"It's not an act," Skye protested. "And as much as I'd like to get out of here, I understand why you're doing it. Kai's clinically certified, he deserves to be here. I, however, do not and neither do you or Damon."

Bonnie scoffed, "Sure you don't. Don't think I don't know about you either."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"The paper said something about an accomplice, a girl, who also went missing. It said she was his girlfriend and that her name was Skyler Lambert. It said she was believed to have rounded up and kept track of all the kids so they wouldn't get away."

Skye was silent and went really still for a moment. When she next spoke, she did it so slowly, intently, and vehemently that Bonnie was startled, "I. did. _not_. help. him."

Bonnie paused; Skye had looked right into her eyes with every word. Skye wasn't lying, but Bonnie wasn't deterred. "But you didn't stop him, either, did you?"

"He held a knife to my throat, and threatened my family, Bonnie," Skye explained, a lump in her throat. "He locked me outside. I listened to their screams and his taunts. And all I could do, after I moved past my extreme shock, was puke in the bushes, but I never helped him."

Bonnie grimaced, and her eyes held a sympathetic sheen at Skye's words and at the hysteria and guilt strong in Skye's voice, but then her gaze shifted to something over Skye's shoulder, and her features became steely.

"Yep, she was so lazy," Kai's voice interrupted. "Besides, I don't mind taking all the credit for such a stunning masterpiece of fratricide and sororicide." He came to a stop on Skye's right; Bonnie instantly darted around Skye's left and headed back into the house.

"Damn it, Kai," Skye grounded out in frustration, turning to face him. She had barely turned around before he was already pushing her back, his large and insistent hand right on her chest, over her heart, into the tree. He gripped her throat with one hand, though not hard, just to keep her in place, the other was placed on her shoulder. His body leaned into her, and his warm breath fanned her cheeks. Before the prison world, and to be honest, before the arrival of Bonnie and Damon in the prison world, this type of interaction with Kai might've caused different kinds of emotions to surface within Sky, but right then all she felt was resigned, weak, revolted.

However weak she felt, she was determined not to show it and met his dark eyes and deep frown resolutely. "You know, as much time as you spend getting in other people's faces, you should really invest in a box of Tic Tacs, _Mal_."

In reply, he simply tightened his grip. He wasn't crushing her windpipe, but it wasn't comfortable either. He could definitely feel every swallow she took, and it reminded her just how fragile her neck was.

Skye brought her hands up to his in an effort to drag them away from her neck, but the attempt was futile and only served to entertain Kai. At least for a moment, before his face grew falsely serious and he said, "It seems we need to have a discussion about narcing and just how uncool it is."

"They had a right to know who they were dealing with," she insisted, her hands unconsciously latched on his wrist.

"You regular people and your moral dilemmas. 'Oh, should I tell two complete strangers, whom I owe nothing, that my boyfriend is a little bit of a psycho? Or stay loyal to him and trust that he's doing his utmost best to break us out of the magical prison world?' Seems like a pretty clear choice to me," he said calmly. Although, there was an edge to his tone that almost sounded hurt, but like with all things concerning Kai, she couldn't trust it or believe it as it was probably a pretense. The boy was practically a caricature of himself - he could appear "normal," but there was something exaggerated about the facade. He only truly showed himself when basking in his sociopathic nature.

Besides, there were some many issues with his statement that she didn't even know where to start so she gaped like a fish before she repeated incredulously, " 'A little bit of a psycho?' You're a full blown sociopath, Kai."

"Oh my god," he burst out, "I know, you've told me as much 50, 000 times. Pick a new record, please, preferably one that's less repetitive."

"You're also not my boyfriend," she reminded. He rolled his eyes, again with the broken record.

"We have actually never broken up, officially, so technically I still am."

"Ahh, I would say the first time you murdered me was the official moment. Or probably that night you murdered four children," Skye said. "Also, I don't understand why you insist on still classifying yourself as such when you literally couldn't care less about me."

"Oh, I wouldn't say that," Kai smiled creepily, pushing a strand of her hair off her face and behind her ear. He leaned forward even more, to where his face wasn't visible; she waited tense and impatient. She didn't know what to expect, and was surprised to feel his lips brush over her cheekbone, softly...tenderly.

"What are you going to do?" Her voice was breathy and cautious, and she wasn't sure what she was asking - whether she meant in the general future, in dealing with Bonnie's refusal, or the future of this one little moment, as his lips had steadily made their descent down the plane of her cheek towards the corner of her mouth. But he retreated a moment later.

"Well, Plan A, you know the whole kill 'em with my undeniable charm, has to be abandoned, no thanks to you. I guess that leaves my Plan B," Kai said. Bringing his hands back down, he circled her neck. His grin was more manic, now. "Don't worry, it's good! Granted it's messier, but it's also my personal favorite because it entails the most fun method." Leaning forward again, this time until they were cheek to cheek, his prickly and hers smooth, he whispered the answer to her unasked question into her ear. "Force."

With that, he squeezed so hard, black dots popped into her vision, and she sagged and clawed. He let her fall to the ground, after a full minute of choking. She instantly started hacking, a torrent of coughs that would last the whole time he was talking. "I tried to take the easy route, but you sabotaged it. Whatever may or may not happen, like rolling vampire heads and ding-dong dead witches, is all on you, babe."

Kai stalked off into the forest, whistling, while Skye waited desperately to regain her breath and vision.

* * *

Later, after night had fallen, Kai was still M.I.A, and Skye had procured a scarf from the attic bedroom to hide the damage he caused, purple blemishes in the shapes of his fingers and his hands. She didn't know why she was, but she figured she didn't want Damon and Bonnie to see them, not for Kai's sake, but for her own sanity. She didn't want to seem weak in front of them.

With hunger pains in her stomach, she made her way into the Salvatore's kitchen, hoping to score some food unnoticed. But Bonnie was there at Mission dining table, eating pancakes, in the glow of a fire from an ornate old fashioned fireplace.

Skye immediately apologized for disturbing her and was halfway through the doorway, when Bonnie called, "Wait!"

She turned, and Bonnie gestured to the seat across from her. "Go ahead, sit."

Bonnie waited until Skye sat, her curiosity over Bonnie's cordiality evident on her face, before Bonnie offered her plate. "You can have these if you want. I'm not really hungry."

"You sure?" Skye asked uncertainly.

Bonnie pushed over the plate in response.

Skye dug in with relish; she hated blueberries, but even that didn't spoil it she was so hungry.

"Like your scarf," Bonnie said casually.

Skye brought her hand up to it self-consciously. "Um, thanks."

The two girls fell into a somewhat uncomfortable silence, punctuated only by the clanging and scraping of Skye's fork.

Bonnie looked like she was warring with herself, her brow furrowed. "Skye…" she started, hesitant.

"Yeah?" Skye looked up.

"How did you even get involved with someone like Kai? I mean, you don't have to tell me if you don't feel comfortable, but -"

"No, it's fine. I understand the curiosity," Skye said. "What do you wanna know?"

"I don't know, did you ever have any creepy vibes from him before he...did what he did?"

To be honest, she had been pondering this exact topic for the last twenty years. Grasping at straws, really, because it didn't matter or help now whether she had seen or acknowledged any red flags back then.

"I met him at college. He seemed normal enough at first. Friendly, funny," she started, working out her thoughts. "Don't get wrong - he could also infuriate me like no other person before but that's because, well you've met him, he's obnoxious. As time went on, I guess there might have been some other indicators. He always liked to scare me...you know, sneak up on me. He liked pushing other guys' buttons; he never really had any close friends. He liked making me angry sometimes, it excited him," she paused, hoping Bonnie got the picture. Bonnie was observing her with eyes that reflected the fire, her expression grim. "Of course, none of this seemed weird to me at the time," Skye finished, with a bitter smile.

Bonnie was about to speak, but they were interrupted by the arrival of a vampire. "Shame eating, P.G.?" Damon greeted, with a finger towards her plate.

"P.G.?" Skye questioned.

"It's short for 'Psycho's Girlfriend.' Don't worry, it's a work in progress," Damon smirked.

"Damon likes to give nicknames; it's a defense mechanism that distances him from people so he doesn't start having real human emotions for them," Bonnie informed while Skye digested the information, once again lamenting the fact that everyone seemed to be completely forgetting that she was single. "Actually, I've been thinking about that pregnant lady," Bonnie continued. "She had a thing for pancakes."

"That's what you remember?" Damon asked with some skepticism.

Skye felt like she was missing something, but watched the pair with rapt attention. She'd be blind if she didn't see the parallels she could draw from Bonnie's and Damon's relationship compared to her's and Kai's, though her's and Kai's was probably a bit more complicated and severe.

"You remember, don't you?" Bonnie fished. "You make pancakes every day."

_Ah, I get it now,_ Skye thought. Well, that made Damon less like Kai.

Damon turned to face them, his trusty glass of bourbon on display. "'Cause I'm bored."

"No," Bonnie disagreed. "'Cause you're punishing yourself."

Damon looked away from them, and took a swig of bourbon.

"You call this place your hell, that means you feel remorse. That's what makes you different than Kai. That means there's hope for you." Bonnie said.

Skye could see it, too. His remorse, she had noticed it earlier. "Bonnie's right," she said, earning a brief sneer from Damon before he changed the subject.

"Look, we can still get out of here, Bonnie," he said, stepping from around the island, closer to the table. "We can just steal that Ascendant contraption. Skye can get it from Kai, and in exchange, she can come with us."

Skye wasn't too sure about where Damon's tract was leading, but it almost seemed promising. She had been thinking about Kai's threats against the witch and the vampire earlier, but didn't see how he could gain the upper hand over them. They were a witch and a vampire after all, and Kai was just a witch born without powers. At least, that's what he told her time and time again every time she begged him for a way out.

"Then we all three find out what Kai knows since I get the feeling little Ms. Doe-Eyed over here probably has no clue," Damon continued. "And we'll ditch him. He doesn't have any powers anyway."

"Actually, it's not that simple," Kai appeared, leaning on the door jamb. He leered at Skye for a moment, his eyes tracing the scarf around her neck.

"You've gotta _stop _doing that," Damon rebuked. "It's creepy."

"Here's the thing," Kai started, ignoring him and walking further into the room, "I have a killer _effect _on magic. I can't generate myself." He moved towards the table, and Skye and Bonnie stood defensively. He pushed past Skye, and Skye wondered a moment too late if she should have stood her ground as he came right up next to Bonnie and finished, "But I _can _consume it from others. Temporarily. Family called me an abomination. That hurt my feelings." Grabbing Bonnie's arm, his hand glowed orange on her skin. Bonnie made a strangled noise of pain, but Kai held fast and lifted his hand, palm out. A fire erupted next to Damon, and Damon clenched his head as he struggle to stay up on his legs.

"Kai, stop!" Skye commanded. Of course, he ignored her and she lunged at him. The next second, she was on the ground, white hot excruciating pain had overtaken her brain, her own half-shrieks rising up to join the den.

"Okay, okay..." She distantly heard Damon's strained surrender and Bonnie's muffled whimpers.

The pain was completely gone, she gasped and fought her way back up on her feet. Kai looked satisfied, while Bonnie and Damon were also gasping, hunched over and recovering.

"You can see why my coven and I didn't get along," Kai drawled to them. Skye wished she knew where Damon had hid her baseball bat because she wanted to bash Kai over the head about 50 times.

He shifted his gaze to Skye. "Surprise, babe. Now, you can see why my family hated me."

She just shook her head at him in complete disbelief.

"I smell an ultimatum," Damon interjected, rising up.

"If I consume all of Bonnie's magic," Kai reasoned, walking around Bonnie to her other side, drawing his index finger along her back as he did. Nursing her arm, Bonnie flinched violently away from him. "I am _just _going to end up killing her." Both Damon and Skye glared at the sociopath as he leaned a hand on the table. "But if we work together, we can all go home as friends," he said, with some earnest. Bonnie regarded him doubtfully, with glistening eyes. "Or I can devour her magic, kill you both, and go home alone." Turning to Skye, with dead eyes, he added, "Or with you, Skye, if you stop disappointing me at every turn."

She didn't reply because what she wanted to say was inappropriate, and because she was too angry to speak.

Sitting down, Kai pulled her plate over to him. "What's it gonna be?" he asked, reaching to grab the fork and knife. He plopped a piece of pancake into his mouth arrogantly, and Skye was left wondering yet again what exactly she had seen in him in the first place, and how she had failed to sense the complete evil.

_A/N - Here it is! It hasn't even been a whole week yet. I hope you like it, I tried to put more original content in there. It's not as long as the last chapter, but it's about the length of the first, so enjoy. _

_Guests: Thank you guys so much, I wish I could address you all individually, but a numbering system would be too confusing for me right now. Your reviews definitely encouraged me, especially the kind words. _

_NeverlandDust__: Thanks so much! I hope this chapter provides the insight you're seeking. Just to let you know, the rhyme was unintentional. I had just wanted to name a character Skye, and I was getting the idea for the Kai /OC fanfic, so I kinda of just stuck it on her. _

_Prettygirl16__ : Thanks for reviewing, but I'm not sure exactly how to take your question. If you're asking if they're gonna have romantic moments, they definitely will, but it won't be anywhere near sappy or tender, at least until Kai merges with Luke._

_warden-xy__: Thanks so much! I hope you'll find these big interactions of Kai and Skye to your liking. Also, the flashbacks will be present every chapter following, I think._

_TWLOC__: Thank you so much for you review! I'm sorry to say that Google translate and other translating websites, plus two semester of French instruction, have failed me when it comes to translating this last review all the way. But I do understand that you liked it, so I'm glad. I hope you like these flashbacks. _

_KaiFan123: When Kai called Skye a lush, he meant that she likes to drink alcohol. It's a step above an alcoholic, really, and I can't really blame the girl for being so. This will get explored as the chapters go on. _

_heytay1__: Thank you! Hope you like this update. _

_mrsdansmith__: Thank you! I hope these flashbacks show a less dysfunctional time for the two. _

_VampiresAndLiars__: Thanks so much! I'm glad you think she's interesting. Lol, yeah, Damon just loves them together. _

_MalfoyRocks__: Thank you! I hope that was what you were wanting. _

_XxMikealsonForeverxX__ : You're welcome, and thank you! Can I ask who your favorite Original is? _

_Female whovian__: Thank you! Here it is! _

_Razzle162__: Thanks so much. I hope you liked it!_

_SOAFan26__: Thank you!_

_Thank you guys again! I also wanted to let you know that I crossed the threshold last night into a Chris Wood superfan (before I was just a Kai superfan and a normal fan of Chris's) because I watched his Major Crimes episode (which I like to think of as a chilling precursor to Kai) and his stint on the Carrie Diaries. He is super amazing, but I'm sure you guys already knew that. Why else would you be here?_


	4. Chapter 4

Set during 6x05, "The World Has Turned and Left Me Here"

_Old yellow bricks,_

_Love's a risk,_

_Quite the little Escapoligist_

_Looked so miffed,_

_When you wished,_

_For a thousand places better than this,_

_You are the fugitive,_

_But you don't know what you're running from,_

_You can't kid us,_

_And you couldn't trick anyone,_

_Houdini, love you don't know what you're running away from,_

_"Old Yellow Bricks" - Arctic Monkeys_

Chapter 4 -What You're Running Away From

_April 1993 _

_Skye slammed the dorm room door in Kai's face, but he just opened it a moment later and stepped through, sighing. _

"_Get out," she growled, trying to contain herself. She had not been this angry before in a long time, and she was scared where it would take her. And Kai's insufferable, obnoxious behavior wasn't helping._

"_Babe, calm down. It wasn't that bad," he cajoled. _

"_Wasn't that bad?!" she nearly screeched. "Who says something like that?"_

_Undisturbed, he pulled out her desk chair and sat, propping his legs up on the desk's surface, making Skye see red. "You know, I've never seen this hostile side of you. I really like it, makes you like 6 times hotter." _

_Just a foot away, Skye was shaking with the amount of rage inside her, and his continued idiocy only added to it, but he couldn't take her eyes off of her. There was something in his gaze off-putting to her. Like he was fascinated by her rage, like he really meant what he was saying, though his tone was sarcastic. _

"_Kai, I swear to God…" Her tone was deadly calm, the type anyone would fear from another person, but Kai still sat, watching her, unperturbed. "If you don't leave this room, I will castrate you."_

_He leaned forward now, his feet meeting the floor, eyes still glued to her, but this time traveling down her body. "Ooh, the threats stage, how fun. Here's a suggestion, though, you should make them more original." _

_Skye gaped, momentarily forgetting her rage. "What is wrong with you?" she burst out. "Look, you need to leave. I will talk to you when I've cooled off." _

_Looking around, he ignored her. "When does your roommate get out of class again?" he asked. _

_She regarded him with utter disbelief. "Kai, seriously."_

"_Answer the question, please."_

"_I don't know," she snapped, "Two hours." _

"_Perfect," he grinned, before his arms flashed out and pulled her to him, forcing her on his lap. She struggled instantly, but he held firm. "Listen," he shushed over her wrathful mutterings. "I'm sorry."_

"_Yeah, that was totally convincing," she said, still tense in his arms. _

_Letting out a long-suffering sigh, he said, "Fine, I'm really sorry. I'll never say anything like that again." The anger stirred up again in Skye at his still blasé attitude. _

"_Wow, you really need to improve your apology skills," Skye said, seriously. She tried to move again, but he clamped down. "Kai, let me up _now_."_

_His nose brushed her ear and she froze. "Let me apologize in other ways," he whispered, and just that one whisper against her skin took some of the heat of her anger and transformed it into the heat of desire. But the anger was still there, simmering, and she wasn't ready to let it go._

"_No," she insisted "In fact, maybe we shouldn't even be toget-." He had cut her straight off when he inclined his head and pressed his lips to her neck. He knew too much about her in what seemed like such a short amount of time. He grinned against her neck when she let out a little gasp. "Not fair."_

_Pulling back, he nudged her till she stood up off his lap, though his face had turned serious and hurt. "Actually, not fair is going postal over one idiotic comment, and almost breaking up with your boyfriend." _

_Instantly, Skye felt guilt weigh heavily in her belly. Observing her stricken expression, he smiled brightly, "It's okay, babe. I forgive you." He pulled her down into his lap again, and this time his lips settled over hers hungrily. She kissed back, desire finally winning out, but she was also confused, wondering how he could've turned around the situation so quickly. _

* * *

The next morning, Skye jerked awake to see Kai; he sat on the edge of the bed, dressed in a dark, distressed denim jacket, with at least two more dark layers underneath, and black shorts. But what had actually awoken Skye was his movements - he was purposefully bouncing his body, making the bed shake. She was unsurprised, the boy was like an over-excited puppy, trying to wake up it's owner in the morning.

When he saw her open brown eyes, he gave a bright grin.

"Come on," he said, his voice annoyingly cheerful. "Get up. _Our friends_ are already waiting for us in the woods."

Groaning, Skye rolled onto her back, right into a stream of sunlight that poured in through the window of one of the many guest rooms of the Salvatore Boarding house.

She squinted at Kai and pushed her hair back. "What time is it?"

"8:30," he answered, scooting closer to her. His face had relaxed slightly from the grin, but now his eyes were focused on her exposed neck. She froze when he reached with one hand and touched the bruises, gingerly tracing with his fingertips. "That means less than fours hours from now we'll be hurtling through time and space. It will be like _Back to the Future_, only I'm like _way _more attractive than Michael J. Fox." Turning his gaze to the floor, his brow furrowed, but he still kept his hand on her neck, except now he entwined his fingers into her hair. "Wait- does that make Bonnie the Doc in this scenario?" He pressed his thumb down hard against the bruise, and Skye hissed in pain. "Because that just seems weir-" Kai stopped when Skye's hand shot up and grabbed his wrist tightly. Their eyes locked for a second, while his expression seemed startled, his eyes held an knowing sadistic gleam.

Sitting up, she shoved his shoulder with all the force she had, causing him to topple to the floor with a loud _thump, _and a grunt came from his prostrate figure.

He was back on his feet the next second, regarding Skye with pursed lips. "Normally, I would be a little angry about that. But we're going home today, and even you can't bring me down."

Walking to the end of the bed, he bent and pulled all the fabric off Skye and the bed into the floor. "Get up. Our schedule is very restrictive today, and like I said, Bonnie and Damon are waiting on us." While Skye tried to fend off the cold by wrapping her arms around herself, Kai pointed to a neat stack of folded clothes on the dresser. "Bonnie left you some clothes. You have time for a shower, but make it quick. I will be downstairs." With that, he strolled out the door.

Skye got up cautiously, not entirely believing he was gone. She padded to the doorway, and looked into the hallway. It was empty, and if she strained her ears, she could hear him downstairs moving around.

Swiping the clothes off the dresser, Skye walked to the bathroom she had found last night in the hall. Quietly shutting the door, she was insanely relieved to find that it had a lock. She twisted it quickly, and walked to the tub to start the water.

She enjoyed her shower, the warm and cleansing water, but it ended too soon. She dried and dressed fast into the clothes Bonnie had laid aside for her: ripped jeans, a white tank top, and a red and black plaid shirt. Her now more awake brain was reminding her of exactly what the day was supposed to hold for her: the real world, where her mom, Anya, and Anthony were. She even let herself get a little giddy, that is until she turned to the steamy mirror, wiped it and the ugly bruises greeted her. Feeling deflated, she ran a random comb she had found in the medicine cabinet through her hair. The comb was too flimsy to brush entirely through her thick hair, but it was enough.

Stopping by the guestroom again, she slipped on her red Converse, grabbed the dark scarf from yesterday off the bedpost, and wrapped it around her neck. She was glad the scarf was polyester and not wool, which would be hard to explain to Damon and Bonnie in perpetual May weather.

Skye headed downstairs to the foyer. Kai was already there, with the huge front door wide open, and holding up a glass of orange juice and an apple. "Bonnie and Damon already ate breakfast. Pancakes, again, can you believe it? It would be cute if it wasn't so disgusting. Like don't they realize there are a billion other way more interesting breakfast food items? French toast, eggs, even waffles, for God's sake..."

He held the items out to her, and she eyed them doubtfully. He shook them at her insistently. Sighing, she took the glass of orange juice from him and drained it in three gulps, hoping he hadn't gotten his hands on rat poison or something similar. Kai's murder approach was usually more direct anyway. Handing back the glass, she snatched the apple, and walked past him through the door, intending to leave his ass behind. But then she stopped in her tracks, and cringed, realizing she had to wait for him to know what direction to go.

Chuckling, Kai came out and headed left. "I was wondering when you'd realize…" he said.

They set off into the woods. Kai trampled quickly and unforgiving while she followed more slowly and carefully through the underbrush, chomping on the apple. Every so often, he glanced back at her pensively.

"You know, babe, I've been thinking. We can't go back to the real world on bad terms."

"Yes, we can," Skye said immediately, speeding up. She walked ahead and then a little sideways, until she was four trees away from him latitudely.

"Are you still mad about yesterday?" he called.

She didn't answer, only kept walking, not even looking back.

"Look, I'm sorry about it, okay?" Kai almost sounded serious, but Skye heard the slight intonation that betrayed him.

"Sorry, insincere apologies will get you nowhere."

"I had to motivate them, otherwise we'd be stuck here." His voice was closer, and she quicken her pace.

"No, you'd be stuck here because they actually like me. Maybe it's because I'm not the spawn of Satan and Norman Bates."

Turning her head, she saw that he was now one tree away from her. She gave him the sweetest smile she could muster. "Like you, Mal."

Expecting him to get angry for the nickname, she was amazed to be met with an blue-grey pair of mirthful eyes. "Ooh, a Hitchcock reference. You know, he really was overrated…"

Kai launched into a tangent about his least favorite Alfred Hitchcock movies that lasted several more minutes and feet of irregular, dirty, stick littered ground -where Skye tossed the remnants of her apple.

Skye was relieved to finally hear two other voices-Bonnie's and Damon's; she practically jogging at this point.

"But Kai's a sociopath. Who's to say he won't screw us over?" _Good point, Bonnie_. Skye thought. She could see the witch and the vampire now, stepping into a small clearing, but she could also sense that Kai was right at her back.

"Me," Damon answered. "I say. Because I will kill Kai, and anyone who comes in the way of me going home."

Breaking into the clearing, both Kai and Skye slowed. Kai had already pulled out the Ascendant, and came to stand in the middle of the group.

"I heard my name," he said to Bonnie and Damon. "All good, I hope." They only stared back cautiously.

"Doubtful," Skye quipped, honestly. She tried to give Bonnie a smile, but the witch was focused on Kai.

Raising the Ascendant to his forehead and looking up, Kai said, "The eclipse will happen directly overhead." He brought his hand and head down. "In perfect alignment with the Gemini constellation." Pointing to Damon, he directed, "_You_ need to dig into the tunnels below us. We'll do the spell there."

"Why?" Bonnie questioned.

"Have you never portal jumped through an eclipse before?" Kai asked sarcastically, feigning shock.

Damon, Bonnie, and Skye all shot him looks of exasperation. "Okay, look," he said, ready to explain. "The light of the eclipse will shine down and activate the Ascendant." Now, he pointed to Bonnie. "You spout a little bit of witchy-woo. And _poof_," he finished dramatically. "Anyone standing in the circle of light, holding the Ascendant, goes home."

"By witchy-woo, I assume you mean the spell?" Bonnie asked.

"Uh huh."

"Let me see it," she demanded.

"When the time comes," he said cryptically. Kai started forward, passing in between Damon and Bonnie, headed in the direction they had come from. Skye came forward too, perplexed.

"Where are you going?" Damon asked casually.

Kai turned, "Into town. I need to gather some important supplies." His eyes shifted to Skye, "You coming?"

"Uh-," She looked towards Bonnie and Damon. They were watching her, but offering her no alternative.

"Come on, Skye," Kai insisted, patting his legs. His tone was similar to a tone of pet owner, calling for their dog.

She glared at him; that was sure making her want to follow.

Bonnie stared at him, openly hostile. "You can stay here with us, Skye," she said softly while glancing meaningfully at Damon.

"Yeah," Damon agreed, upon seeing her look.

"Thanks, guys, but it's okay. He won't do anything to me," she said, already headed towards the grinning fool. _That he hasn't already done a hundred times over, _she thought, as he turned, walked a few steps, and vaulted around a tree.

Besides, it would be best if one of them kept an eye on him.

* * *

Kai had led her to a car on the side of a road, and presented her with her own blue canvas backpack.

Now, they were browsing the record store in the downtown area of Mystic Falls. Kai was concentrated hard on his selection while Skye felt less concerned with hers. He had said supplies earlier, and to Skye that meant things they would need in the real world to survive, like money, toiletry items, extra clothes, food, etc. And surely, one could still access this music in the future. It had only been eighteen years; some of the music in the store had been around longer than that. She had tried to explain all this to him, but he had pulled a face at her, and plugged his ears until she stopped talking, all the while throwing one grunge CD after another into his bag.

Not to to be outdone, she started picking out her own CDs away from him. The Beatles, Beastie Boys, Radiohead, The Cure, and Depeche Mode eventually found their way into her bag.

Picking up Cypress Hill's _Black Sunday_ album, she peeked over the track listing before grinning to herself.

"Hey, Kai, here's your song," she said. Curious, he made his way over before taking the CD from her grip and glancing down at the song she had indicated, "Insane in the Membrane." Rolling his eyes, he threw the album over his shoulder carelessly, and it landed on a rack with a clatter. While she laughed, he snatched her bag from her grip and began rifling through her selection.

"Really?" he burst out, taking out Depeche Mode's album _Violator_. " 'Enjoy the Silence." Oh my god, I remember this god awful song. You used to sing along to it all the time, like really loudly and off-key." He laughed nostalgically. Skye, always protective of her music choices, grabbed the CD and her bag from him. But Kai continued, in his inane, self-righteous Kai way: "I always wondered how you failed to see the irony. I mean, they were using words to describe how words were meaningless. I still can't decide if it was really stupid or ballsy of them. They should've just put a blank track in it's place and entitled it 'Enjoy the Silence.' Now, that would've been ballsy and hilar-"

Skye exited the music store, and walked quickly across the street, headed to another building where the storefront read "General Store."

Here, she grabbed what she considered necessities. Kai barged in, not even five minutes after she had entered. "Way to be rude, babe," he said, making his way towards her place in the food aisle only to be diverted by the stand up coolers in the back. "Ooh, Zima." Changing his path, he walked to the display. "Damon told me they discontinued this, can you believe it?"

"Yes, that stuff is disgusting," she answered, before exiting once again without him.

Now, she just needed to find a bank...and break into its safe. Now, she actually needed the criminal. Sighing and turning, she went back to the General Store. Kai was already sitting on the counter, swing his legs, a bag of pork rinds opened at his side, and draining a bottle of Zima.

Wiping his mouth with his sleeve, he raised his eyebrows at her approach. "She returns. And here I had just resigned myself to the fact that you were being _annoyingly _independent today."

That statement made what she had to ask for next ten times harder, "Actually, I need your help."

His face broke into all-knowing grin that just got bigger by the second; she contemplated smacking it off his face.

* * *

After Kai had revealed the bank's location, broke into the vault successfully (with no small amount of gloating) and Skye had collected twenty thousand dollars, they drove back to the side road and headed back into the forest, the backpacks heavy on their backs. Kai was rambling, but Skye was preoccupied, thinking over the behavior he had displayed so far that day. The wake up call, breakfast, the backpack, the trip into town, his almost seemingly endless patience - he was acting like he typically would, after he brutalized her in any way. She recognized for what it was, a tactic of emotional manipulation. She had read all about it in all the books she had consulted about sociopaths, of course once she'd learned he was one in the prison world.

Speaking of the world, cutting off Kai mid-babble, Skye addressed an issue that had been bothering her since yesterday.

"So your family called you an abomination because of your...ability?"

He actually looked genuinely surprised for a split second, but it was gone and replaced by a smirk too soon for her to be sure it had happened.

"Yeah, my whole life," he replied. "Why do you ask? Feeling sorry for me?"

"No, just thinking about self-fulfilling prophecies," she said softly. He raised an eyebrow, staying silent. _But he was interested. _She continued: "You know, the idea that if a person gets called something over and over again, he tends to become that very thing, even if he wasn't before." His gaze stayed straight ahead. "The situation usually reflects poorly on the name caller," she said as his head snapped to her, and for the first time in her life, she thought she saw uncertainty on Kai's face. She had to finish, though. "But the victim's not entirely blameless either. They did fulfill the prophecy, after all." His features went hard again, and he seemed to sneer at her, before he sped up and left her behind. Skye already knew that she never would feel sorry for Kai, or not blame him for his actions. She just had needed to tell him that.

She trailed after him, until she saw the clearing again. Except now there was a big hole in the middle of it, with Bonnie sitting on it's edge. She was chatting to Damon, who Skye guessed was inside of it. She watched from her approaching distance as Damon heaved the pick axe over his head before he brought it down again. Then she heard rocks falling down into what sounded like a hollow space.

"Looks like we got back just in time," Kai said, stepping into the clearing, pulling his bag from his shoulder. Skye stepped into the clearing too, but stopped behind him. Which was a good thing, as Damon vamped out of the hole and snatched Kai's bag right out of his hands. Damon unzipped it and examined its contents, while Bonnie looked on with some concern. "Zima, grunge, every Alex Rodriguez rookie card known to man, and a pager. Really?" he finished, the last part laced with snarky surprise.

"555-HIYA-KAI. There's no way I'm giving those digits up," Kai answered. Skye rolled her eyes; she had forgotten all about his stupid pager.

"These were the important supplies you had to get?" Damon asked, with skepticism. He turned to Skye, "Please tell me you have more common sense than your boyfriend over here."

"Look, the future sounds great," Kai interjected before Skye could respond. "I'm _super _excited about the Internet. But 1994 has been my home for most of my life, and I'd hate to get homesick."

Damon rolled his eyes, but he didn't deter Kai.

"So, let's get down there-"

"No," Bonnie broke through, standing up, approaching Kai, and pushing Damon off to the side. "We're not going anywhere until you show me the spell."

"Oohkay," Kai drawled out, putting his hands in his pockets. He smiled between the two, showing his willingness to wait.

"Are we literally not going anywhere?" Damon asked, showing the barest hint of his irritation.

"Fine, you don't want to show me the spell," Bonnie reasoned. "You can do it yourself." Holding her hand out, she challenged, "You want my magic. Take it."

"Uh oh, she's being brave," Kai said to Damon, with contempt. This exchange marked the instance that Skye became nervous for Bonnie. She didn't even want to know what Kai's face looked like.

Skye stepped closer to Kai from behind while Bonnie did the same, though in front of him. "I'm serious, Kai. This was your big threat, wasn't it? If I don't do the spell and let us out of here, you'll just take my magic, leave me for dead, and do the spell yourself. So, go ahead," she challenged once again. "Take _all _of it."

There was a slight pause before Skye heard Kai say "Don't mind if I do." He slapped his hands on her shoulders, holding the tops of her arms tightly. Bonnie skin glowed orange under his hands, and she groaned out in pain, tipping forward.

"Bonnie," Damon said, concerned. Skye moved even closer to the pair, ready to intervene.

"It's okay," Bonnie reassured through gritted teeth, straightening to look dead into Kai's eyes. "He won't kill me."

"Doesn't look like that from here," Damon said. Skye had to agree, and she was barely able to see Kai's face.

"Kai," Skye finally cautioned.

"Shut up, Skyler." He also spoke through gritted teeth, but she figured his were on edge for a different reason.

Kai twisted his arms, and Bonnie fought against him, but she let out a new, louder moan, and the pain finally showed on her face.

"Hey, Bonnie," Damon barked. "Whoa. Guys."

Skye grabbed Kai's shoulder, hard.

"Stop!" Damon commanded. Kai finally released Bonnie and she staggered a few steps back. Both witches were breathing heavily before Bonnie said, with scorn and complete confidence, "He doesn't _know _the spell. Which means we don't need him. _Motis_."

With a flick of her hand, the pick axe rose from the ground and impaled itself straight into Kai's chest. He let out a thick grunt, and coughed, while Damon started shouting, "No! No, no." Kai fell to the forest ground right away, almost comically, his eyes rolling into the back of his head. Skye went down with him, but scrambled away as soon as she could, and looked in utter shock, not upon Kai, but upon Bonnie. She had never expected such as thing from the girl, the one who seemed so righteous.

"Bonnie," Damon said, also seemingly scandalized at Bonnie's action, but only because to him, Kai was the wealth of information they needed. Damon patted her on her shoulder condescendingly, "Great work, Bonnie."

_A/N - Again, this is not the full episode, but I wanted to give you something this week. It's not as long as last chapter, but still longer than the first. I will finish the episode next time, plus provide my own content for the next because I know Kai and Bonnie aren't in it. Hopefully, you guys got some satisfying Kai / Skye interaction out of this one too._

_Thanks so much for the favorites and follows. Also, thanks to the reviewers: _

_Guests: Thank you all so much. You're all very encouraging. To the one that complimented my use of the flashbacks, thank you so much! It definitely helps to not dump out all the exposition in one go. To the one that said everyone's voice was in character, thank you! I do worry about this. To the one concerned about Skye's welfare, don't worry she's pretty tough. To the one who thought I might be a TVD writer, I'm not but that's like the best compliment I've ever received so thank you. _

_louiseinwonderland__: Thank so much! I'm glad to hear you loved the flashback scenes, and that I write Kai well. That has been my biggest concern. _

_mrsdansmith__: Thank you! Yes, I've been trying to be more timely. Thanks for recommending the video - it is perfect, especially the song choice. Like I needed to fall more in love with him. _

_Justfourmisfits: You're welcome! And thank you! It's awesome to me that people get excited about what I write, so I hope you like this one. _

_VampiresAndLiars__: I'm glad you like the flashbacks! I was nervous about them. As for the one of the day Kai killed his family, that one is already slotted for the Thanksgiving episode, though I think it will be told from Skye's perspective. _

_AmericanWordsmith__: Thank you so much! You really hit the nail on the head with your insight. I love that you see the thought I put into it because I had hoped it was translating. _

_susan: Thanks so much! So sorry about the rating, I didn't know how it got to be that way. But I changed it right after I got your review, so thank you. _

_Female whovian__: Thanks so much! I hope this chapter is just as intense for you! _

_sarahmichellegellarfan1__: Thanks so much for reviewing each chapter. I think that's one of the reason I like Kai, too, because of his parallels with Kol. As for Kai's and Skye's relationship, I wouldn't say they have no feelings for each other, in fact I would say they both have too many if that makes sense to you. _

_W__e're All M-M-Mad Here__: Thanks so much! Don't cry, the update's here. I hope you like it. _

_MrsEnzo__: Thank you! As for who Skye is getting out of the prison world with, I don't wanna spoil it, but this is a Kai / OC fanfic (hint, hint). _

_Loki Ascending__: Thank you! Here's the update. I hope you like it. _

_diadems and sesame seeds__: Thank so much! That episode is pretty creepy, and he is definitely one of a kind. I'm glad you like their portrayal. I hope you like this chapter. _

_Also, I've thinking about Kai's and Skye's ship name and it's pretty much impossible to make one out of their nicknames, so you guys got any ideas? Malakyler? Makyler? Malaskye? It's weird. _


	5. Chapter 5

Set during the second half of 6x05, "The World Has Turned and Left Me Here," and 6x06,"The More You Ignore Me, The Closer I Get"

_To you it's all a game, but all I do is analyze_

_Words that make me rot inside_

_To you it's all the same, I'm just a human sacrifice_

_use me like a parasite_

_Can't keep you back, can't bring you in_

_Can't fade to black, can't let you win_

_When nothing works for me, when nothing works for me_

_You make it hurt, you make it worse for me_

_I let myself down_

_You make it worse, you make it worse for me_

_You were supposed to make it easy_

_We were supposed to be a team_

_We were supposed to live some kind of dream_

_But in the scheme of things, you only want to scheme_

_Are you some kind of creep?_

_Words are cheap._

"_You Make It Worse" - Raleigh Ritchie_

_**Warning: for some graphic violence**_

Chapter 5 - Can't Keep You Back, Can't Bring You In

_May 1993 _

"_You've been studying all night," Skye complained, slumped down face first on Kai's bed. _

"_Yeah, well, human physiology is hard," he said, flipping yet another page. She sighed into his pillow. He sat, leaning against the headboard, concentrating hard on the textbook in his lap. Skye was squashed between the wall and his side, his tiny dorm bed barely leaving any room. His roommate had left for the weekend, while Skye's had annoyingly stayed put so they were forced to spend their time here. She was only adverse to the arrangement because Kai's roommate was a slob, his smelly clothes littered the floor. Kai's half of the room was pretty orderly, but still smelt like the pork rinds and beef jerky he kept in his second desk drawer. _

"_Your final's not even till Monday. It's Friday," she reminded him. He only hummed absentmindedly. _

"_We could've been getting drunk with my friends right now," she said, longingly. _

_He snorted, at least she had gotten his attention. "It's adorable you think that. After what happened last time, there's not a chance in any possible dimension of hell that I'd put myself through that again." _

"_I still don't understand why you don't like my friends," she said, turning on her side to face him. _

"_Uh, because they're loud and obnoxious," he said, bring the book closer to his face to examine a diagram of the human heart._

_Skye stifled a laugh. _Seems like I attract those sort of people_, she thought. Instead, she said, "It's not my fault you don't have any we could hang out with."_

"_Friendships are tedious," he muttered. She shot him a weird look, but he didn't see, only continued studying the next diagram of the lungs. She watched him for a moment, the way his eyebrows were furrowed, and his mouth actually relaxed, not turned up at the corners like usual as if everything he encountered amused him. She liked it, it made him look less arrogant. Feeling mischievous, she snatched the textbook from his grip. Closing it, she slipped it behind her back and pressed it against the wall. _

"_Really?" he snapped, throwing his hands up. Skye just grinned in response. Huffing, he grabbed her side to roll her away from the wall, but she had braced herself against it. He glared. "You do realize I have to have the whole human body and its functions memorized in less than 72 hours. Otherwise, I'm gonna flunk out of college and have to listen to my parents drone _on and on_ about my sister, and how rainbows and butterflies shoot out of her ass."_

"_Memorize my body," Skye suggested, smiling, struggling against his continued pulls on her side. _

_Kai paused, surprised for a moment before he grinned roguishly. "You wanna play doctor?"_

"_Okay, you just ruined it," she groaned. "I meant study mine and use it as your visual aid."_

_He looked confused, so she shifted until she was on her back. She grabbed his hands, and pulled, causing him to move until he straddled her so he wouldn't fall off the narrow bed. Taking his hands, she placed them on her stomach, before moving hers to lay at her side. "Show and tell, Dr. Parker." _

_Kai simply stared down at her with intense expression before he smirked slightly, and slid his hands up her abdomen to trace her ribs. Running his fingers along the bones, he explained, "These are your true ribs. They call them that because they directly connect to your sternum through the costal cartilages." _

_One hand came up, and fingers dipped into the crease of her cleavage, and pressed hard against the bone, his nails indenting. "This is the body of the sternum."_

_She took a deep breath, and tried to appear as though she was unaffected, but her body heat was rising. His smirk only increased in size. _

_He then rested the same large hand on her chest, right above her breasts, his fingers dipping into the hollow between her collar bones. "This is the manubrium of the sternum; it rests over your heart, which is beating rapidly, by the way." Their eyes locked, and she could see the lust developing in his, but he persisted, moving his hands down to her stomach to rest again. "All these bones I've pointed out serve a purpose of course, specifically to the thorax, to protect your heart and your lungs from external injury." His deft fingers now edged up the hem of her shirt, and came to rest on her skin. Goosebumps erupted all over her body. _

_To Skye, there was nothing hotter than this simple demonstration of knowledge._

"_I think you're gonna do well on your final," she said, her voice breathy. _

"_Please," he returned, just as breathily. "This is one small portion of the skeletal system. There are like sevent -"_

"_Shut up, and kiss me,"she interrupted, her patience sapped completely. He hovered over her, grinning, for an agonizing moment, drawing out the anticipation, before he quickly pulled off his shirt and bent to grant her request. _

_The textbook stood on its spine, completely forgotten against the wall. _

_Afterwards, she laid curled on his chest, with his arm around her; his fingers were back to prodding, this time along her bare spine._

"_Ow," she complained. He was pushing hard against the knots in it and doing it repeatedly. _

"_I'm just counting your vertebrae," he told her before his hand jumped to her shoulder blade, and he traced the edges of the bone._

"_Okay," she snapped, pinching his nipple. "It was hot earlier, but now it's annoying."_

"_Ow!" he yelped, halting her hand before he laced both of theirs together tightly. "Speaking of hot, how are you spending your summer?" _

"_Well, I usually go home for the summer," she said, closely inspecting his curious face. "Why?"_

_His voice taking on a playful tone, he said, "I was wondering if you wanted to spend a few weeks, oh, I don't know, maybe...moving into an apartment with your boyfriend?" _

_Skye froze, a small smile threatened to grace her face. "Seriously?"_

_Kai laughed sarcastically. "No, you got me. I was being totally insincere. Why would I want to live with someone who refuses to do my laundry or cook for me?" _

_She just grinned, leaned up, and pecked his lips. _

* * *

Skye was still in shock; this time it was concentrated on Kai. She was still in the same position as before, on the ground beside his body, but now she was cross-legged, and had her fingers up to her temples. She stared fixedly at the pickaxe lodged grotesquely in his chest. She didn't really blame Bonnie for getting rid of the jackass, she understood perfectly that he presented a dangerous risk simply by virtue of being himself. Bonnie thought she was removing the risk, but Skye knew that she had only really made the situation worse. She just hoped they were all gone before Kai could get his revenge.

Bonnie had moved to sit on the pile of dirt next to the hole, to browse through her grimoire, and study the Ascendant while Damon leaned on a tree behind Skye, sipping Kai's Zima. He had been grumbling every so often, usually about Bonnie's intelligence and how she had turned Kai, the only person with any information into a "douche kabob," while Bonnie, annoyed, would ask him to stop so she could concentrate.

"You two do realize we only have a few minutes before he wakes up, right?" Skye finally spoke, bringing her hands down.

"What do you mean wakes up?" Damon asked sharply while Bonnie looked up curiously from her spellbook.

"I mean," she said, turning her body to face them both. "We can't die here, it's part of the punishment. Our bodies just regenerate every time."

"Of course they do," Damon mumbled caustically, tipping the bottle back to finish it off. "Now we have to hurry even faster to figure out how to get the hell out of here, with no help from anyone who knows anything. _Bonnie_," he emphasized, once again expressing blame.

"Actually, I'm working on something," she said. "Think about it, Damon. What prison gives an inmate a key?"

"Is that a trick question? Or is this stuff actually starting to kick in?" He quipped.

Skye interjected, "One that needs more than just the key." Of course, she just assumed it was magic.

"Exactly! I think the Gemini coven used a Bennett spell to create this place," Bonnie explained. "What if that's why my grams sent me here?"

"This is the face I make when I don't understand you," Damon informed, tilting his head and crossing his eyes. The vampire was obviously not following, or refusing to.

Huffing in annoyance, Bonnie tried again. "You know, the last thing my grams said to me was to stay strong. What if that was her way of telling me I have to the power to get out?" Damon seemed to be considering it. Bonnie continued: "I have the Ascendant, a massive celestial event to draw from. Plus a burning desire to get away from you." They both shot each other small smirks while Skye looked knowingly between them; they liked each other, but they'd refuse to ever admit it. She was going to smile, but then her periphery caught Kai's Converse-clad foot.

"I also don't think Skye deserves to be here," Bonnie said, smiling over at her. Skye tried to smile again, but she was sure it turned into a grimace, though she was grateful for the witch's support.

"So, here it goes," Bonnie murmured before she chanted, "_Sangina Mearma, Ascendarum Cavea." _

The metal wings of the Ascendant extended, and Bonnie stood up, letting out a disbelieving laugh. She held the contraption out to Damon and Skye, almost preciously, and the two regarded it with incredulity. "That's why Kai wouldn't kill me. He needed a Bennett. I was his only way out of here," said Bonnie, before she turned, with determination, and stepped across the dirt pile to the edge of the hole.  
"Whoa, where are you going?" Damon asked.

"Home," she said with a small smile. "You guys coming?"

Skye stood, no small of amount of excitement and hope flooding through her, while Damon looked up to the sun; she guessed he was trying to gauge how much time they had before the eclipse. She looked up too; she figured another half-hour at least.

"Get down there, Damon," Bonnie said, indicating the hole that opened up to a cave floor ten feet below. "Somebody's gotta catch us. We all can't have vampire agility, and Skye and I don't wanna break anything."

* * *

The cave was cold and dank, the only light filtered through the hole above, which Bonnie was currently standing under. Damon sat on a boulder a few feet away, draining Kai's last Zima.

Skye stood, not far from Bonnie, to her right, observing her moments. She might've have been fascinated by the witch's continued performance of magic at any other time except all she could think about at that moment was Kai's dead body above them. She was growing restless and doubtful, a gnawing ache in her stomach, half-scared he would show up and ruin their chance. The other half of her felt guilty, and almost wished that he would, though it would be awful for all of them. After all, he didn't _have _to call her back when she had paged him all those weeks ago, or tell her where to find him. He didn't _have _to bid his time until she arrived. He had never tried to stop her from tagging along. In fact, he made sure she was here this morning.

She snapped out of her thoughts when Bonnie cut into her palm with the sharp edges of the Ascendant's wings, letting out a sigh of pain. Skye watched as she let her blood drip onto the top of the device right over the jewel in the middle, staining it red. Bonnie glanced at both Skye and Damon, steeling herself, before she closed her eyes and chanted the Latin words once again, "_Sangina Mearma, Ascendarum Cavea." _The metal wings extended out to their highest setting while a cog whirled. "It's time, Damon, Skye," she said, her voice revealing the barest hint of happiness.

"Alright," Damon said, jumping up from the boulder while Skye stepped into the circle of light. "Let's get awkward."

He stopped, considering. Bonnie held the Ascendant in her palm, and Damon placed his under hers, "Like this?" he asked, carefully.

Bonnie simply replied, "Yep."

Skye immediately placed her palm under Damon's; he didn't react, but Bonnie smiled at her briefly before she turned her head back towards Damon - which was a good thing because Skye never returned her smile.

A deluge of thoughts had assaulted her the moment she put her hand on Damon's, things she had never thought before. Like what the hell was her family gonna think, if she did get to see them? They thought she had gone missing with a mass murderer, and that she had been his accomplice. In fact, they probably grew to hate her when they read the details of the supposed horror and terror she inflicted.

Or what would they think of how she was still the same age, having never aged due to the magical prison world she was currently trying to escape. She was supposed to be 40 years old and she still looked like she had on the real May 10th, 1994 - a 22 years old. They wouldn't believe she was who she said she was, and she had no one else to turn to. Maybe Damon and Bonnie would take pity on her, but she had already exploited their hospitality here and doing so in the real world would only make her feel like a moocher.

Besides, Kai had been her companion for better and for definitely worse for the last 20 years. Their time here hadn't been all bad. There were whole periods of civility - their shared suicide pacts, drinking parties, the four year period they had attempted to do the apparent impossible - they had entitled it Operation Blue Lagoon - their truces for holidays and birthdays. All those times would make being stuck here with him tolerable before he would inevitably grow bored and snap. It was a cycle she internalized in herself, one she was too used to.

The whole time she had been thinking feverishly, Damon and Bonnie had been talking, but she hadn't caught any of it. Skye made her decision.

_The devil you know_, she thought, as she retracted her hand.

"Skye, what are you do -" Bonnie was cut off abruptly, as something whirled through the air and hit her, sending her to the ground, out of the circle of light. The Ascendant flew from her hand and landed a few feet away.

Skye was startled, though she really shouldn't have been, as she observed Bonnie with an arrow sticking out of her abdomen. Both her and Damon turned to see Kai, standing with a crossbow, pointed at them. "Forgetting someone?" he asked, lightly, bringing the weapon down. But his tense body told Skye just how pissed he was, but she was too worried about Bonnie right then to focus on him. She ran to her side and knelt, while Kai kept talking, "Do you really think we haven't tried to kill ourselves before?" Bonnie let out a grunt, and tried to pull on the arrow while Skye tried to stop her, knowing it would only make her bleed out faster. Damon was torn between keeping on an eye on Kai, and wanting to help Bonnie.

"Because we have, lots of times," Kai continued. "Lots of ways. Sometimes separately, sometimes together. Always with the same results." He notched another arrow, and aimed right at Damon. Skye guessed Damon's eyes went to the Ascendant because of Kai's next words, "Grab that and the next arrow goes in her heart," he said firmly. "Your choice." Skye could only watch Damon's back as he decided, and watch Kai as he dared him cockily.

Bonnie groaned, and the next thing Skye knew, Damon was on Bonnie's other side. Whispering, "I've got you, I've got you," he ripped the arrow from her abdomen though Bonnie and Skye let out a noise of protest, and bit into his own wrist. Skye had unwrapped the scarf from around her neck, quickly reaching over to apply pressure to the wound with it.

That's was when Kai dropped the bow, and started full speed towards the Ascendant. "Damon, no," Bonnie warned. Kai reached it, and snatched it up haphazardly.

Both Damon and Skye reacted, though Damon's vampire speed was faster, as he forced Kai into the opposite cave wall, pinning him by the neck. The Ascendant fell; Skye darted to it while Damon and Kai struggled. "Don't you dare, Skyler," Kai forced out, sounding half-strangled. He managed to stab Damon in the chest with an arrow. Skye ignored him, running back to the Bonnie, with the device in hand. In that time, Kai had gained the upper hand in his fight against Damon, turning the vampire until he was pinned to a boulder, and forcing the arrow closer to his heart.

Now it was Damon's turn to force out, "Bonnie, get ... out of here."

"I'm not going to make it," she said thickly, still out of reach of the light. Skye tried to pull her, by her elbow, into the ring, but Bonnie resisted. "But you are," she said determinately while Damon let out a groan as Kai got closer and closer to puncturing his heart. Raising her hand towards the two men, Bonnie said, "_Motus_." Kai was launched up, almost as if on puppet strings, over the boulder and onto the ground. Damon was turned and, by an invisible force, dragged into the ring of light.

"Don't!" Kai said, but to no avail as Bonnie threw the Ascendant. It landed right in Damon's hands, and the wings extended once again.

"No. _No_!" Damon protested loudly as a bright light descended and he vanished; the Ascendant fell to the cave floor in pieces.

Kai screamed unintelligibly, but Skye watched Bonnie's as her eyes filled up. Bonnie smiled for a small moment and it was heartbreaking - it was a smile that showed genuine happiness for saving her friend, but it instantly turned into a grimace when she realized her situation. Skye tried to smile back, her own eyes stinging at the display of raw emotion. She wanted to tell Bonnie it was okay because she was going to protect her from _him_, the boy pacing like a caged animal in the corner, seething.

Bonnie finally slumped to the ground and lost consciousness, and Skye put her hands back on her still bleeding wound, hoping it would clot soon.

A few minutes passed before Skye even attempted to speak, observing Kai as fumed in his complete fury. She hadn't seen him this rage-filled since right after they had landed in the prison world, and of course the first thing he did was lash out at her, killing her for the first time. So she definitely wanted to tread cautiously here.

"Kai," she said, trying to get his attention.

"_Do not talk to me_," he said it so lowly and venomously that she almost lost her breath.

"Look," she pushed. "I know that you're angry, but we need to get her out of here. You know, make sure she doesn't bleed to death."

He ignored her, bringing his hands up to run through his hair frustratedly. So she tried a tactic that she knew would work. "We can't let her die; she is our only source of magic."

He gave her a "no shit" look, before he came forward into the ring of light. Saying nothing, he bent and collected the pieces of the Ascendant, carefully sifting through the dirt with his fingers. He stuffed each small piece into his pocket.

"Kai," she said, impatiently. Bonnie was still bleeding, staining her hands a deep red.

"I know," he snapped, before he knelt next to them and pushed Skye back fell back onto her butt. He grabbed Bonnie's forearm, and Skye noticed her skin glowing orange for a mere moment, where Kai's hand came into contact. "Kai," she said with alarm, grabbing his bicep.

"_Chill_," he snarled, swatting her hand away."You wanted to get out of the cave. We need her magic to do that."

He murmured lowly, too lowly for her to hear, then all three of them were levitating.

* * *

Kai levitated Bonnie's plank-like figure all the way back through the forest to the Boarding House, thankfully not leaving a trail of blood. Skye wished she could say he was being careful about knocking Bonnie into trees and the walls, but she'd be lying. He stayed quiet, too, which unnerved her.

Inside, he broke the magical connection and dropped Bonnie's body unceremoniously down on one of the couches in the living room, the room the foyer overlooked.

Immediately, Skye pulled up the edge of Bonnie's white, partially blood-soaked blouse to inspect the damage. The hole wasn't that large, but it was tattered. Arrows definitely did not leave clean wounds. At least, she had stopped bleeding and Skye didn't think she'd need stitches. Which was good, because then she would've had to ask Kai to do them; she didn't trust him, but he had the training. She sensed Kai's presence not too off behind her, looking as well.

She turned, about to yell at him, but he held out a package of gauze bandages, scissors and medical tape, his face still twisted in anger. _He may be insane and wrathful_, Skye thought, _but he's not stupid. _Bonnie was safe from him for the time being, Skye was happy to see.

She took the items from him, not saying a word. She set to work, cutting large patches of the gauze and layered them over Bonnie's wound.

Meanwhile, Kai stomped around the room. He took the Ascendant pieces out of his pocket, and tossed them on the desk behind the couch right across from the one Bonnie's lifeless body was occupying, and where Skye stood, mending her. He tried to sit and sort through the pieces, but soon he impatiently stood. He couldn't seem to stay still, and to be honest, he was distracting Skye. She couldn't help but feel a sort of hyper awareness of his movements, prepping for his inevitable lash out.

He started pacing in the space between the two couches while she cut the strips of tape to fit the edges of the gauze. She tried to lay them down carefully, but she never had a steady hand. Finally done, she surveyed her work. It wasn't neat, but it would do. She pulled Bonnie's shirt down to cover the treated wound, moving Bonnie's legs over slightly, she sat down on the couch to rest. She intended to guard Bonnie as long as she needed to.

"So, babe, how are you feeling?" Kai's voice finally cut through the thick silence. Falsely concerned, a farce that eventually would work its way into a manic episode.

"I'm just fine, Kai. You?" she replied, nonchalantly. She was anxious to get it over with, so they could move on.

"Funny you should ask. As a sociopath, I'm not supposed to feel emotions, you know, at least that's what you are so fond of telling me," he said, grinning too brightly, and pointing his index finger at her. He had stopped pacing. "But I've gotta to tell you, I do. The ones I'm feeling right now are pretty easy to recognize, actually, even for me. _Extreme _anger, resentment, even betrayal." He now aimed his finger down at Bonnie. "Now, the first two are directed at the little witch here you seem so tenaciously set on befriending, and sucking up to."

"But the latter one," he continued, almost looking disheartened. "That's all on you, Skye." Staring at her for a moment, he turned thoughtful. "It just hurts. You try and try and try for a person, and they continually spit in your face. Your loyalty was something I used to admire about you, and now it's like it's virtually non-existent."

Skye fought hard not to roll her eyes at his dramatics, though any other person might be moved by the speech. Besides, his mention of her fierce loyalty did not sit well with her. Maybe it was because she had just demonstrated an hour ago the very thing he was accusing of not having for him. "I didn't betray you, Kai. You can stop the melodrama. You're not Judd Nelson, and this isn't an audition for the Breakfast Club. You're not misunderstood and well-intentioned, you're just a crazy person."

He seemed to draw in a deep breath and squared his shoulders; she guessed to keep calm. "Tomato, potato. It doesn't matter," he shrugged. "Anyway, you're just like me since you're lying."

"Actually, I'm not lying about betraying you," she reiterated, putting air quotes on the verb "betraying." "If you hadn't shot Bonnie with an arrow, you'd have noticed that I took my hand off the Ascendant." He only shook his head in an exaggerated way, unbelieving, as he resumed his pacing.

"I was ready to stay here with you," Skye insisted. "Because I wouldn't wish being stuck here alone on my worst enemy, which also happens to be you so you know I'm not just saying that."

"You're lying," he dismissed, laughing humorlessly.

"_I'm not lying_," she said, forcefully. He stopped mid-pace, irked by her tone. His face was cold, and his jaw was clenched. He closed the distance between them in three strides, before he leaned down, menacingly, four inches from her face. She stared into his depthless eyes unflinchingly.

"Stop _lying _about not lying," he said, almost mildly. But it was his demeanor that almost shook Skye, the controlled aura he exhibited seemed all too fragile.

"I'm not. Besides, shouldn't you be able to tell, Master Manipulator?"

He finally backed down, though his eyes were still piercing straight through her. Turning, he stormed from the room. Skye exhaled shakily, and then gasped a few moments later when Kai appeared again under the room's archway, looking blank, but he had a kitchen knife dangling from his right hand.

"So I'm gonna give you a choice. This," he said, holding the knife aloft, "can go into your gut or across your throat."

"Don't you dare," Skye snarled, and stood. She started moving slowly, towards the back of the couch, attempting to put some distance and objects, and unfortunately Bonnie, between her and the madman, though she knew he wouldn't kill Bonnie, not now at least.

"I'm sure the gut wound would be a slow and very painful process so of course that's the one I'm partial to, but I said I would give you the choice." He moved towards the couch, already at the place she had been sitting.

"If you think my hatred for you is bad now, it's gonna be ten times worse if you use that on me, Malachai." Her voice cracked on "ten," finally revealing her fear, and she hated herself for it, but Kai was distracted by the usage of his full name as his eyes flashed, but he stayed still.

"I will never speak to you again. I will never look at you. I will move heaven and earth, and kill you as many times as I need to, to make sure that she gets to go home," Skye told him fiercely. He only stared expressionlessly, running his fingers over the edge of the blade.

Finally, she added, with a dry mouth, "And that I go with her."

This statement provoked Kai into action. He lunged quickly towards her, but he still had to get around the barrier of the couch. Skye had already turned and was running to the foyer, into the hall, headed for the staircase. She couldn't have gone to the front door because it would've taken too long to open it inward. Her best bet was to reach the bathroom, the one with the lock she had used earlier in the day. It closed from the inside, meaning she could barricade against someone's force if she needed to, and it had the lock of course.

However, she had only reached the foot of the stairs, when his arm snaked around her waist from behind, and the other came up to press the blade against her throat. She kicked out, to gain purchase on anything: the banister, the rug, against his legs. She tried to bite his arm, but her attempts were futile as Kai slashed the blade across her throat swiftly and efficiently before he let it drop to the floor. She sagged instantly, and started gurgling, her hands reached up instinctively to staunch the too rapid blood flow. He caught her, and turned her around so he could see her face, cradling her head in one hand and supporting her by the waist with the other. Her eyes were panicked and hate-filled as they meet his frenzied ones. Then darkness took over, the last image floating in her head was of his grimacing but relieved face.

* * *

Kai slowly sunk to the bloody rug, still propping Skye's body up against his own. He buried his face into her dirty blonde, now blood-matted hair for a moment. He had watched as the light left her eyes, and now he reached his hands up to pass over her still open eyes and closed her eyelids.

He felt better now. It was the rush. _It was always the rush_. It was comprised of adrenaline and something deadlier, something only people like him understood. A catharsis.

Kai sat for the next thirty minutes, holding Skye, his chin resting on her head, as her body repaired itself and cells regenerated. The torn flesh of her neck slowly knit back together, and the strangle marks had disappeared too. When he felt her muscles jumping and tensing, Kai carefully laid her out on the floor. He walked upstairs to take a much needed shower and change into unbloodied clothes.

* * *

Skye shot up, gasping. She was sitting in a pool of her own blood. _The vile bastard_ had left her in a pool of her own blood. Her white tank top was now drenched, and completely red, matching her plaid shirt. The stained knife laid a few inches away, and she grabbed it without a thought. Struggling to her feet, she started down the hall and came back into the living room. Bonnie still laid, unconscious and unharmed, on the couch in the exact position Skye had left her. She slumped down beside Bonnie, and closed her eyes, feeling completely numb, the knife resting in her lap. She refused to think.

After some time, she felt him enter the room, smelled the fresh scent of shampoo perfumes, but she did not acknowledge him, and she missed his forlorn glances.

_A/N - I'm so sorry. I hope you guys aren't too upset. I just felt like this was the logical track to take. What about that flashback, though? I hope it wasn't too cheesy or out of character. It is a pretty big chapter. _

_Thanks to all the people who followed or favorited, and thanks to the reviewers:_

_Guests: Thank you so much! Glad you like the story, and here's your hopefully quick update. _

_TetraGirl__: Thank you for your curiosity! I hope you like this flashback. _

_Prettygirl16__: I hope this chapter answered your question the in way you wanted._

_Cassie: Thanks so much! I definitely plan on showing most of the entire day she met them, because I wanna explore his mom's character, as well as the other siblings. _

_VampiresAndLiars__: Thank you! Thanks for giving the ship name. I like Skai, but I thought it would be weird because it's pronounced the same way as "Skye." I guess it doesn't really matter since we're never hearing it. _

_Loki Ascending__ : Thanks so much!_

_RHatch89__: Thank you!_

_Kacie: Thanks you so much! Yeah, it's definitely interesting to try and get inside the head of a sociopath. I'm glad you're enjoying it. I hope you like this one. _

_ThePhantomismyLove__: Sorry! She will someday, you just have to wait and see. But thanks for your concern over her! I love that you guys care about her. _

_diadems and sesame seeds__: Thanks so much! Thanks for the recommendation, I'm reading it now. It's very interesting, and definitely helpful. _

_Katie: Thanks so much! I knew you'd enjoy that last part! _

_sarahmichellegellarfan1__: Thank you! I hope you love this one too!_

_SourlessCherryxx__: Thanks so much! I'm glad you like Skye. Of course, I agree about Kai. Thanks for the ship name. Yeah, I think it works. _

_Cassie-D1__: Thank you! To answer your question, and to be weirdly cryptic but also really obvious, I don't think Kai will have to look for her very hard. _

_P.S. I also wondered if you guys like the soundtrack, or whether you could do without it? Doesn't bother me either way, so feel free to be honest. _


	6. Chapter 6

Set during 6x07, "Do You Remember the First Time?"

_All this time I've been lied to_

_You're always in between, I go too far_

_You know I got the anger of a burning sun_

_Say hold up just a minute, don't burn me now_

_If you burn me down you'll never find your way_

_If you burn me down, it's true, a little drop of dreams_

_Locked in a cage, for a really long time, time, time_

"_Locked In a Cage" - Brick + Mortar_

Chapter 6-Don't Burn Me Now

_October 1993_

_Skye slammed the door, and threw her backpack down on the carpeted floor beside the door. _

_Kai, who had been lounging on the couch watching a rerun of _The Fresh Prince of Bel Air_ and stuffing his face with barbeque chips, turned his head at the sound. "Hey, babe," he greeted before he observed her frustration. "Rough day?"_

_She huffed, and quickly disengaged all the buttons on her peacoat. "Well, it's a funny story. Do you remember Mark?"_

_Kai furrowed his brow, thinking back._

_Not waiting for an answer, she continued, "He was my partner for this project. You know, the one that counts for 35% of my grade. He came over Wednesday to work on it." She came around the couch, and stood in front of him with her arms crossed. _

_She wondered if Kai could sense where she was headed with her rant, but his brow was still furrowed, resembling an confused three year old. She didn't know if he purposely acting obtuse or if he really was. _

_"He asked Dr. Frenquest today if he could do the project solo. He wouldn't tell me why when I asked him. He only said, 'Ask your boyfriend.' So my question to you is what the hell is going on?" Skye couldn't say she was mad, just perplexed at least where it concerned Kai. She was mad about the project and at Mark; it was Friday and she now had until Monday to complete the project by herself, though the professor had advised Mark to let her keep their original idea while he came up with a new one. _

_It all seemed to suddenly dawn on Kai. "Oh, that Mark." _

_"Yes, that Mark. What did you say to him?" _

_Kai shrugged, leaning forward. He laid the bag of chips down on their coffee table, and licked the residue off his fingers. "Well, the first thing I said was 'Hi, I'm Kai.' and then he said 'Hi, I'm Mark.' We shook hands-"_

_"Kai," Skye snapped. She remembered that part of course, but it hadn't actually happened that way. If she recalled correctly, she had introduced Kai to Mark, when he had gotten home from volunteering at the hospital and found her and Mark working on their project at the kitchen table. And Kai had been friendly, joking with him, until he grabbed something to eat and promised to stop bothering them so they could work. Kai had never said anything to her after Mark had left either._

_Holding up his hands, Kai smirked and chuckled, "Fine, I might've said something else to him when you left to go to the bathroom." _

Of course you did_, she thought with exasperation. "What?" she asked flatly. _

_He stood, and his face and tone became imperious. "Well, I was in here listening to you giggle every two minutes at everything he said. It got kinda annoying." He moved closer to her, until he came to a stop before her, his eyes deadly serious, but he was still smirking. "So when you left to go the bathroom, I thought I should remind him that you were _my _girlfriend. And not to get any big ideas rolling around in his pea-sized brain."_

_"Kai," she sighed. She wasn't surprised, this wasn't the first time he had acted this way, jealous and possessive. She just wished he would talk to her about it, although there was small, very small part of her that soared when he acted like this. Mostly because his actions confirmed for her what he never really told her in words: _I love you, and I don't want to lose you.

_"Don't ask me to apologize to him because I'm not sorry," Kai said sternly, grabbing her arms to bring her closer to him. But she resisted, pulling out of his reach. _

_"It's fine," she answered, headed back to the front door, where she grabbed her book bag from the floor. "Screw him. He's a pansy if he's intimidated by you anyway. And I don't have the energy to be mad at you; it's all gotta be focused on finishing this stupid project." Shouldering her backpack, she crossed to the kitchen archway, and left Kai standing, with a cold gleam in his eyes. _

_Five hours later, Skye was still in the kitchen at the table, using an Elmer's glue stick to glue down pictures of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow to a tri-fold presentation board. She had heard Kai moving around the apartment, smartly avoiding the kitchen. He had kept the television down to a low decibel, for which she was thankful. He seemed to be wary of bothering her, and she was kind of shocked, not knowing Kai to be that considerate. Maybe this was his way of trying to make it up to her. _

_However, she doubted it a moment later when she heard The Cure's "Friday, I'm in Love" blaring out suddenly from the living room. Getting up from the her chair, she walked cautiously to the kitchen archway. _

_Kai was dancing, badly-prancing around and spinning, arms and legs flailing, almost dangerously coming into contact with the hard surface of the coffee table. He jumped on the couch and rocked out on air guitar, before switching to air drums. _

_Watching him, she couldn't help but crack a smile and let out a small laugh. The sight sort of reminded Skye of the iconic Beach Boys scene from Saved by the Bell. Except Kai was a dark, loner version of Zack Morris. Hearing her, he stopped. His eyes met her, and his cobalt ones were filled with warmth and humor. They matched her brown ones as she tried and failed to hold back more laughter. _

_"You hate this song," she finally spoke up loudly enough to be heard over the music, when she had calmed. _

_"Yes, but this is like your favorite," he explained just as loudly. He jumped down from the couch and headed towards her. She felt light, now, the stress had left her body courtesy of the laughing fit he had just caused her to have. He embraced her, wrapping his hands around her waist loosely. He was breathing slightly put her hands on his shoulders, before they traveled up to his neck and to his cheeks, and she softly caressed his sharp cheekbones with her thumbs, her fingers nestling into his short thick hair. Her eyes traced her actions while his watched her heatedly. _

_"I've got to say your apologies have improved a bit," she told him, able to speak lower since they were closer, meeting his eyes. His eyes were depth-less, to her they seemed to contain a multitude of intense emotions, but they were indistinguishable from another. _

_He smirked, and she smiled back before she rose up and planted a small kiss on his mouth. Skye had intended for it to stay small -a reward for growth, she supposed-but in trying to draw back, he gripped her tighter. Their lips stayed against each other's, and their hot breath mingled. _

_She pressed a rougher, more lingering kiss to his lips, which Kai eagerly responded to in kind while the track played out in the background. _

* * *

For the rest of the day, Skye kept her eyes closed tight, even through out Kai's constant prattle - which consisted of taunting remarks and weird observations.

"You're always been a terrible fake-sleeper, babe…"

_Not faking sleep, just ignoring you,_ she answered in her head.

"Did you know the human heart creates enough pressure to squirt blood 30 feet?"

_Yes, actually. I think you demonstrated it for me once. _

"I've always wondered what happened to our old neighbor. What was his name? You know the one who always had a weird stench coming from apartment... "

_Gary_, she supplied.

The comments were all pleas for attention by a person that was half starved for it all the time like a true performer, and she steadfastly ignored him. His voice stayed the same distance away, and she heard his hands working against the wooden desktop - the metallic clangs of the Ascendant pieces.

Skye wasn't sure how much time had passed, it was hard to gauge. She had been grateful when he finally fell quiet and stayed that way.

After fifteen minutes of complete silence, she decided it was safe. She opened her eyes to complete darkness. Night had settled on the Boarding House, and in the prison world. She couldn't see for a minute before her eyes adjusted, and the moonlight streaming in through the windows illuminated Kai's figure on the opposite couch. He was sprawled out, one hand resting on his stomach. She considered for a moment, wondering if Bonnie and she should attempt an escape, but, looking to her right, she saw that Bonnie was still asleep too, her chest rising and falling softly. _I could wake her_, she thought...but she knew from experience that Kai was a light sleeper. Not to mention, Bonnie was still injured and she didn't know if Kai had finished putting together the Ascendant.

Besides, her lids and limbs felt heavy, too heavy to move.

She must have given into real exhaustion, because the next time she opened her eyes it was morning. The knife wasn't in her lap anymore, but, strangely, a light brown teddy bear sat instead, facing her.

"Skye, meet Ms. Cuddles. She's Bonnie's childhood bear," Kai's voice rang throughout the room. He appeared under the archway again, but luckily no knife was in sight. He moved back to the desk, where she briefly observed Ascendant pieces still scattered.

Skye picked up the bear like it burnt her, and glared at it.

"Don't look at her like that. She's sensitive," Kai chided, sitting in the desk chair.

She leveled the glare at him. "Don't look at me like that. I might start to think you like me again," he teased.

She refused to react, already mad at herself for even deigning to look at him.

Suddenly, the witch beside Skye came awake and sat up, giving the teddy bear in Skye's hands a strange look.

"Look who's awake," Kai said.

Skye set the bear down on the end table beside her, before asking, "Are you okay, Bonnie?"

However, Kai had asked her simultaneously, "How do you feel?"

Bonnie focused on answering Kai, as she clutched a hand to the wound in her abdomen. "Like you shot me with an arrow."

"Right," he said flatly. He resumed fiddling with the Ascendant pieces. "Anywho, I have no idea how you managed to shatter the Ascendant in a billion pieces, but we need to put it back together before the eclipse at 12:28. You wanna help? Skye's a little mad at me, so she's refusing, but I know you're a puzzle person."

"I don't want to help," Bonnie said fiercely, struggling to stand. Skye grasped her by the elbow and helped her, standing too while Kai watched them indifferently. Bonnie continued:"You're a psychopath. This place is your prison. I'm not letting you out. Besides, you'll just kill me and Skye the minute we get out." Skye had kept her eyes on Kai's face throughout Bonnie's speech, closely observing as his eyes dropped to the floor after "psychopath" and the way his eye twitched at the mention of his killing both of them, and she knew that's probably what he wanted to do now at this moment. She grabbed Bonnie's arm and pulled her away from the couch and closer to the exit archway, trying to put more distance between them and Kai as he rose with purpose.

"You've been through a trauma," he started, coming towards them while Skye looked nervously around for a weapon. "Your memory's probably a little fuzzy right now. So you might be thinking that your magic can protect you. But all I have to do-" he broke off, grabbing Bonnie's wrist. She let out a groan. "-is hold your hand and your magic becomes mine," he finished. Bonnie had become immobile, whimpering. Kai further taunted her, putting his ear to gasping mouth, as she tried to pull back. "Wait, what's that? Huh, what? You're gonna do the spell and finally get us home?"

Skye finally spotted the letter opener on the end table, just a bauble the Salvatores kept around, but it had a fine point. Gripping it quickly, she forced her way in between the two witches who had forgotten about her, breaking Kai's hold on Bonnie. She bought the letter opener down hard on Kai's jugular, before he could even react. He grunted loudly, reaching up instinctively as the blood came gushing out. He fell sideways onto the rug, in between the couches, letting out more grunts. "Bonnie, get the Ascendant," Skye ordered, while she knelt next to him; she had to make certain this wound would kill him. Bonnie immediately grabbed Kai's backpack, and swept the Ascendant pieces into it. Kai looked pitiful and helpless to Skye, as he held one bloody hand to his wound, trying futilely to stop his impeding temporary death, unable to even speak. He grabbed Skye's hand with his free one, but she broke his hold easily, and soon his bloody hand fell to his side and he stopped moving altogether.

Skye stood, taking a deep breath, then both her and Bonnie ran to the door.

* * *

Bonnie led Skye quickly to the powder blue Camaro in the detached garage, the one she had followed from the grocery store. They rushed to get in; Bonnie let her drive, since Skye wasn't injured or in pain. They speed around town, while Bonnie wracked her brain for a good, safe location. She finally decided on Mystic Falls Hospital, and gave Skye the directions.

Once inside the grand building, the two girls became paranoid, looking over their shoulders every time they turned a corner.

Bonnie finally picked a room where they could settle, the triage nurse's office with a worktop and medical supplies. Bonnie poured out the contents of the backpack onto the table, and began sorting the pieces. Skye went straight to the cabinet, which contained pill bottles and bandages. Scanning the labels, she found an antibiotic and a pain killer she recognized. Grabbing both and an bandage from the box, she came around to the other side of the table. She handed Bonnie the bandage, and watched sympathetically as Bonnie lifted her blouse, intermittently wincing and hissing in pain, and replaced Skye's soaked makeshift bandage. Skye handed her the pills next, and Bonnie dry-swallowed them.

"Okay," Bonnie said, glancing at the clock on the wall. "An hour and forty-three minutes."

"We can do it," Skye encouraged.

It was important to Skye to keep Bonnie going because she was the only one between the two of them that had handled the Ascendant, and knew its design. Ironically, Skye had only directly touched it once, so she wasn't going to be much help in the reassembling. Bonnie didn't seem to mind, however, as she hunched over and hurriedly set to work.

"So what's the first thing you're gonna do when you get back?" Skye asked when the silence became too intense.

"Hug my friends," Bonnie answered, distractedly. "You?"

"I don't know," Skye admitted. The thought of it scared her now, the unknown. Or maybe it was just residue fear from their encounter with Kai, she didn't know.

"Is that why you took your hand off the Ascendant yesterday?" Bonnie fit two half-round, flat, metal pieces together; they seemed to snap into one like puzzle pieces.

"One of the reasons, yes." Skye said, hesitantly, inching one of the Ascendant's small, curved pieces forward. It looked like one of the what she called the "wings" of the Ascendant. They jutted off the side of the round contraption, and it was one of the pieces that would extend out when Bonnie chanted her spell yesterday.

"Is Kai another reason?" Bonnie's tone was light, but there was an edge to it that put Skye on guard.

She waited a moment, ruminating, before responding, "It's complicated."

"You know, I saw what he did to you, the day before yesterday. I saw him choke you," Bonnie said, using the same tone. Skye could sense Bonnie's tone was a little judgmental, but she couldn't really blame the witch for judging her. She had made a questionable decision.

Skye eyes widened, "How?"

"Through a window," she said. "I guess you could consider it spying, but I'm glad did because that's when I realized you were just another one of his victims. That's when I realized I could trust you." She glanced up for a second, and offered Skye a half-smile before snapping on another small piece of the Ascendant into place.

"That's why you offered me the pancakes, and talked to me," Skye said slowly, recalling back. "You even said something about the scarf."

"Yeah, I wanted to see if you would tell me about it, but you didn't."

Skye let out a deep breath. "Sorry, I just..." she trailed off, head down, unsure about what to say.

"It's okay," Bonnie said. "You barely knew me. I get it."

Bonnie's comment reminded Skye just how little time had passed since she met Bonnie and Damon; only three days or four days had passed, but it felt like a century. Still, it was enough time to learn she could trust them, even if her only other alternative was a sociopath.

"Thank you, though." Skye said quietly, still fiddling with the parts Bonnie hadn't used.

Bonnie simply nodded in response, pushing at a stubborn piece.

Bonnie had now completed the base of the Ascendant. She pulled the round metal grate out from Skye's idle fingers, and set it on top of the base.

"Okay, now the last piece," Bonnie said. "Where is it?" She looked at Skye expectantly.

Skye raised her hands up to reveal the empty table top.

Bonnie became frantic. "No, where is it?" She grabbed the backpack and shuffled through it while Skye, with a sense of foreboding, checked the table top again and the surrounding floor.

"This isn't happening," Bonnie whispered, bring her fingers up to her brow.

"It's oka-." Skye stopped her fruitless reassurance when the fluorescent lights above their heads went out abruptly, almost like someone had cut the power. _Kai._

"Shit," she muttered, trying to come up with a plan of action. They could run, but she really didn't know her way around this place and Bonnie would probably get winded. They could meet him head on, and he would probably force them into cooperating by threatening and hurting them.

But the whole time Skye was deliberating, Bonnie had already made her way to the door and stepped into the hallway. Skye finally noticed, and instantly set off after her. _Head on, it is,_ she thought as she followed Bonnie down the hall into the empty waiting room, taking light steps, wondering if having the ability to do magic made one more reckless than she needed to be.

The girls looked over the shoulders, to check the end of the hallway they had just come from.

"Looking for this?"

Bonnie and Skye whipped around. Kai stood at the other end of the waiting room, holding up a small, golden gear.

"You two stole the Ascendant. Naughty girls," he taunted with relish. "You weren't planning on using it and leaving me behind, were you?"

Bonnie became defensive, standing straighter. Skye sincerely hoped the witch had a plan because she had no idea what to do.

"You left a trail of blood in the driveway," Kai informed, taking steps towards them, intimidation rolling off him in waves. "I figured where else would you stop and play nurse?"

"_Vatos_!" Bonnie cried out, swiping her hand into the air.

Kai let out a yell as everything in his corner of the room-a chair, a shelf, the blinds, the windows' glass, the light fixtures- converged on him with an invisible force, trapping him.

Skye was astonished by the sight, the sparks of electricity exploding and the shards of glass raining down, and didn't immediately react like Bonnie did, who had already taken off down the hall. "Skye, run!" Bonnie called out.

Snapping to attention at Bonnie words, Skye did run, but not after Bonnie like the witch had probably wanted. She chose the waiting room entrance right next to her, the door they had come through earlier. This way, she knew where the hell she was going. Meeting a staircase, she ran down it quickly, almost stumbling to the ground at the bottom.

Skye pushed past double doors into another nondescript hallway, only to find that she'd forgotten which way the hospital entrance door was. Her pause proved unfortunate as she was gripped from behind, a hand closed over her mouth, while an arm wound its way around her waist, pinning her arms. Of course, it was _him_. She would always recognize the feel of him, though she wouldn't always enjoy it. In fact, she panicked, remembering the scene from yesterday when they had been in a similar position.

Skye bit into Kai's hand hard, hoping to draw blood, but he wrenched it away.

"Get off, you ass!" She struggled, but his hold was too strong.

He pulled her even tighter against his front, his head coming to rest heavily on her shoulder. He shushed her, his mouth grazing her ear. "Shh, babe. Language," he admonished teasingly. "Ready for some rest?" That was when she felt the prick of the needle in her neck, and the cold rush of liquid into her system.

"Next time you decide to run away from me, maybe pick a place that doesn't have syringes and sedatives ready to use," Kai whispered as she drifted, going limp in his arms. "That was way too easy...almost no fun at all."

* * *

Subduing Bonnie also proved easy for Kai; all he had to do was hide in the backseat of the disabled Camaro, while she stumbled to it, clutching her side, four minutes after he had dispatched Skye. A hold to the throat, some jeering, a threat to Skye - it induced the necessary fear and defeat in the rebellious witch.

He marched Bonnie, a tight hold on her arm, to the old, black sedan he had been using. It was the one he had used the day before to take Skye to town, and the vehicle's trunk now contained Skye's blue backpack, stuffed with more goodies-at least that's what he considered them. Kai ordered Bonnie to wait while he went back into the hospital to retrieve the nearly completed Ascendant and his own stolen backpack.

He smiled devilishly when he added the gear to the device. To think, the witch all done all the hard work for him. Sweeping the cabinets, he took two more bottles of painkillers as well as more sedatives and syringes. He packed all the items up neatly and safely in his backpack before placing it on his back. He made his way downstairs leisurely, and went to the hallway where he left Skye, unconscious. Picking her up bridal style, her head and limbs lolling with dead weight, he carried her down the hallway, around the corner, in the right direction of the hospital entrance doors."We'll be back to the real world soon enough, Skye," he told her, cheerfully. "I've got big plans for us. You'll see some new places, but, don't worry, they'll have familiar faces." Though probably not the familiar faces she really wanted to see, but it didn't matter much to him as he went on, "I'll gain unlimited power, murder any people that get in my way. You'll like it."

He continued across the driveway, out to the car where Bonnie still sat in the passenger seat, with a tear-stained face. She composed herself hurriedly, using her fingers to swipe at her face. She watched in the sideview mirror, straight-faced, as he opened the door to the back seat and laid an unconscious Skye inside.

* * *

Skye came awake, but kept her eyes closed, and attempted to get her bearings. The surface under her was hard and unforgiving, probably the ground. Cold air licked her skin, the air itself felt damp. Like she was back in the tunnels underneath the town, the cave. Before she could open her eyes to check, something warm caressed her cheek, a hand. "Skye," a voice sing-songed. Her eyes shot open to meet Kai's form. He was bent over her, obscuring her view, and the light that filtered through the hole above cloaked parts of him with shadows, mostly his face. She shivered violently, from the cold air, from the sight, and the potency of the sheer hatred she felt at his nearness. She sat up quickly, and scrambled back from him. "Where's Bonnie?" she asked, her mouth dry and her voice hoarse. The world had spun for a moment, and she was in a stupor; she felt dazed,...drugged.

"I'm right here, Skye," Bonnie answered softly. She was able to look past Kai now and could see the witch standing on the other side of the ring of light. She was half-turned, as she observed, what Skye strained to eyes to see, the bloody arrow on the ground. To Skye, she looked unharmed, and Skye was relieved.

"She's fine. No new holes, at least not courtesy of me." Kai interjected, and Skye's gaze darted back to him. "Aren't you gonna ask about me?" He gave her a mock-hurt look, and pouted.

Ignoring him, Skye got to her feet shakily before she came to stand in between them, on the light's fringe. Kai remained crouched, but had turned to face them. "Brought you a present, Bonnie," he said. He pulled Skye's backpack off his back, plopped it down on the ground, and unzipped it to reveal the teddy bear that had started out its morning on Skye's lap. Pulling her out, he sang, "Ta da." Bonnie barely acknowledged him while Skye just stared at him, mystified. "Ms. Cuddles," he continued good-naturedly. "I thought you might want to bring her along."

"Thanks," she said, emotionlessly.

Kai glanced down for a moment, seemingly bothered by her less than stellar reaction. "I know you think I'm a monster," he said, his tone serious. Bonnie and Skye both gave him sarcastic nods back. "I mean, I did murder or heavily maim most of my immediate family." He stood, and spread his hands in a pacifying gesture while Skye listened intently, her indifferent gaze focused on the ground. Bonnie reacted even more sarcastically to his words in a "tell me more" way, folding her hands together. "But after a long period of self reflection, I've come to the conclusion that I could've handled my anger better," he finished. Skye had to work hard not to scoff aloud; this was his attempt at emotionally manipulating Bonnie with faux remorse. Skye didn't even need to look at Bonnie to know that the girl was too smart to buy it.

"You said you wanted to get out of here, and I quote 'to give the rest of the Gemini Coven an excruciating death,'" she reminded as Kai smiled bitterly.

"I didn't mean it," he denied casually, waving his hand. "Honestly, I would do anything to get my family back." His dejected gaze settled on Skye for a moment. "And for Skye to look at me the way she used to."

Skye rolled her eyes, keeping her face down-turned; he was a good actor, though, she'd give him that-his soft tone was perfect, just the right amount of regret and sadness. He even left Bonnie looking stricken for a moment.

"The thing I'm most scared of is trying to live in the world again," he proceeded. "I'm sorta hoping you've been a positive influence on me. You're a good person, Bonnie. You're brave, loyal, patient. I wanna be more like you," he said wistfully. Bonnie had schooled her expression back to impassivity, but that didn't deter Kai as he heaved up the backpack and put the bear in front of his face. "What do ya say?" he said, in a high-pitched voice, animating the bear. "Friends?" he asked, waving its plush arm. He made it blow a kiss.

Skye was reeling; she couldn't believe how thick he was laying it on, and wished to tell him so, so she did: "You are so full of _shit_, Malachai, that your eyes should be brown."

He stared at her for a minute, still half-hiding behind the bear. Some emotion she couldn't decipher was in his eyes, but he chose not to react. "I'm sorry you think that, Skyler," he said ruefully.

"Let's just go home," Bonnie broke in flatly.

She stepped forward into the ring of light. Skye came forward too while Kai threw the backpack down at their feet, the bear's head still poking out. He pulled the Ascendant from his pocket and handed it to Bonnie. All three of them glanced upward to the sky to see the sun's and moon's trajectories at near convergence.

"It's now or never," Kai said. Bonnie cut her palm open once again with the edge of Ascendant's wing, and poured it over the center of the contraption. She started chanting, but Kai's hands shot out and grabbed the wrist of her bleeding hand forcefully while his other grabbed Skye's hand, enough to almost crush her bones. He only seemed amused at Bonnie's accusing eyes. "Just in case you two thought you'd try and go without me," he explained, then winked. Skye watched as some blood dripped down on 's ear, and put her free hand under Bonnie's, the one holding the Ascendant.

With her hostile eyes on Kai, Bonnie resumed her chant, "_Sangina Mearma, Ascendarum Cavea_." The wings of the Ascendant extended, its cog whirling.

Skye and Kai glanced up again, to see the eclipse occurring, the moon's shadow blocking the sun's bright light. Kai returned his gaze to the Ascendant. "So long 1994," he said gleefully.

All of a sudden, the Ascendant snapped its wings inward, but they remained where they were. No brilliant white light shined down like it had with Damon. "What the hell is happening?" Kai demanded.

"I don't know," Bonnie answered. Kai's head shot up to the eclipse again; its apex was passing. "Keep going. Hurry," he ordered Bonnie, his grip tightening on both girls.

"I can't!" Bonnie struggled, trying to pull her wrist from his hand's hold.

"Keep going!"

"Kai, stop!" Skye told him, unable to handle his impatience for Bonnie when something was obviously wrong with the witch.

Bonnie broke his grip."I can't! I lost my magic," Bonnie revealed. It finally clicked for Skye just what Bonnie was doing and she smiled internally; Bonnie was a convincing actress too.

"What are you talking about? You were just doing the spell!" Kai's disbelieving voice was insistent and loud. He let go of Skye's hand to violently grab Bonnie's wrists, using both hands, making her drop the Ascendant. There was a pause before he scanned Bonnie's distressed face rapidly and said, "There's nothing there. There's no magic."

"It's so strange," Bonnie started, while Kai took another desperate look upwards. "I wonder if I accidentally put it somewhere. Oh, I remember now. I put it somewhere safe." Bonnie finally exposed her subterfuge with her own smirk. Kai's face was twitching; Skye knew this was a sign he was trying to contain himself. She took a half-step forward, so she was partly in front of Bonnie and facing him. Kai turned, and walked a few steps away, bringing his clenched fist to his mouth. He turned back, and Bonnie inquired sarcastically with raised eyebrows. "Where. did you. put your magic?" His delivery was measured, but it also showed how soon his calm facade would crumble.

"Do you remember saying you wanted to be more like me?" Bonnie taunted. "Brave." A growl built in Kai's throat as he turned away again, but Bonnie kept going, "Loyal. Patient."

He stopped abruptly, his back to them. "You put it in the bear," he said, the certainty and excited amusement now clear in his voice a stark difference to the tone before. "Didn't you?"

He spun around with a smile, and immediately started towards the backpack. Grabbing it, he poured its contents out carelessly on to the cave floor. Only CDs fell out to the stone ground with a clatter and other debris, but no teddy bear. He threw the now empty backpack down in frustration and yelled, "COME ON!"

Bonnie winced, but Skye tensed, ready for the onslaught. "Calm down, Kai," she cautioned. He, however, was the very picture of rage as he regarded them before he menacingly advanced. He stopped within a hair's breadth of Skye as she stood protectively in front of Bonnie. "Where's the stupid bear?" he whispered to Bonnie, barely composed, over Skye's shoulder. "Hmmm?"

"Oh, it's gone. I guess we're stuck here. _Forever_. Sorry," Bonnie said, not sounding apologetic at all. Kai just stared back, surprisingly keeping himself in check. His eyes turned thoughtful before he smiled, obviously an idea occurred to him. He stepped back, and walked directly to a boulder adjacent to their spot. Reaching behind it, he pulled out a green backpack-his from yesterday, the ones the girls had stolen. He set it on the boulder, and with his back to them, unzipped it and pulled something from it. There was a pause as he performed an activity, his arms flexing. Bonnie and Skye couldn't see what he was doing, and that made them nervous.

However, when Kai turned, brandishing a syringe, both girls panicked, backing away from him. But both belatedly realized they had nowhere to run and no weapons since Bonnie had sent her magic away.

"Who wants to go first?" Kai asked rhetorically, before he hurtled in their direction.

_A/N: Here you guys go! I hope you like it! I'm sorry I made you guys wait over a week, but I was stuck at home this last week for Spring Break without Wifi. It was difficult to write without it, and this episode proved especially difficult for some reason._

_Anyway, thanks to everyone who added the story to their favorites and follows! I really appreciate it! The support for this story is outrageous, and I'm truly grateful. Also, thanks to the amazing reviewers:_

_We're All M-M-Mad Here: Thank you so much! So sorry to have made you wait so long! I hope you're not too mad, and that you'll like this update._

_BehindGrayEyes: Thank you so much! Your review was so kind._

_Guest 1 (starting from the reviews for Chapter 5): I'm glad I did too. I hope you like this one._

_Guest 2: Thank you!_

_VampiresAndLiars: I'm glad you liked that she stayed with him. Thanks for answering the soundtrack station. I will continue to do it then. Do you actually listen to the song while you read the chapter?_

_Tay: Thank you! I'm happy you like the flashbacks and the interactions because they give me anxiety sometimes._

_justfourmisfits: Thank you so much! Skye's entrance into the real world is coming soon, (hint, hint, lol) and I'm excited to write it._

_RHatch89: Thank you!_

_Guest 3: I love that you love Skye. Thanks so much!_

_Guest 4: Thank you so much! Obviously, Kai will have to change his abusive ways, though it probably won't happen for awhile, at least emotionally and mentally. I hope you like this chapter, and see that she defended herself a little bit this time around, i.e. she got to murder him. I usually don't like taking away character's action because Bonnie was supposed to do it, but she got to do it last time and I felt that it was Skye's turn._

_Loki Ascending: Thank you!_

_HannahDanyelle: Thank you!_

_Guest 5: Lol, here it is!_

_Razzle 162: Thank you! I hope you like these moments, too._

_Cassie: Indeed! Here's the update. I hope you like it!_

_JujuMel: Here's another one! I hope you like it!_

_sarahmichellegellarfan1: Thank you! In the flashbacks, Skye definitely loves Kai. But that doesn't necessarily mean she's blind to his minor faults. For Kai, it's a bit more complicated; he definitely has feelings for her, but it is hard to say it's straight love. He obviously likes her enough to stay with her, but that's because she is useful to him in different ways. In the present, it is more of an extreme love/ mostly hate relationship. She does hate the person he's chooses to be, but there's still a part of her that loves who she thought he was. He hates her when she doesn't do what he wants. I hope that explanation wasn't too convoluted._

_Friday1221: Thanks so much! Lol, it seems that way, but that might be my own preferences slipping through, although I'm more of a Bonkai relationshipper and Bamon friendshipper. But if Bonkai can't really happen in this fic due to Skai, why not Bamon?_

_MrsEnzo: Of course, it's the least I can do! Thank you for the kind words._

_diadems and sesame seeds: Thank you so much! I'm glad you like it so much. I hope you like this update; I'm sorry that Skye's method of ignoring him is not that extreme. However, there are more opportunities to explore it._

_skinkypi: Thank you! Here it is!_

_annabethchase1500: Thank you, here it is!_

_Guest 6: Thanks! I hope you like it._

_Hola: Lol, thanks!_

_KAT: Lol, thanks so much! I'm not a TVD writer, sadly, but I'm glad to know they're all in character._

_Guest 7: I'm glad you like it and Skye!_

_UnitedHeartbeat: Thank you! Believe me, I never had any intention of turning Kai "nice" as you could see from the last chapter. He will remain this way at least until he merges with Luke._

_Guest 8: Thank you!_

_mycornerofrandomness: Thank you so much! No, I hadn't considered it, but I like it. Though, I think everyone else has pretty much decided on 'Skai.' I'm glad you're able to see the contrast, and you like my version of Kai -these matters usually cause me the most anxiety when I write._

_LovelyFandomLover: Thanks so much! I'm happy you like my portrayal of their weird, complicated relationship._

_GITANJALEE123: Thank you! Here's the update, hope you like it. As for a love triangle, I'm not opposed to the idea, but I don't have any real plans for one so no. Maybe in the future, or for a sequel?_

_ssooo: Thank you! Yes, Skai is the official name now. Here it is, hope you like it!_

_Guest 9: Thank you, here it is!_

_Guest 10: Here it is! Hope you like it!_

_Guest 11: Thank you!_

_Guest 12: Thank you!_

_Gretchen: Thank you, I happy you found it too._

_Guest 13: Thank you, here it is! Hope you like it!_

_P.S. For those of you dismayed by the events of 6x17, don't worry! I already have a plan that I think will work._


	7. Chapter 7

Set during 6x08, "Fade Into You"

_Will the ending reek of salty cheeks_

_And runny makeup alone_

_Or will blood run down the face_

_Of a boy bewildered and scorned_

_And you'll find yourself in a skirmish_

_And you wish you'd never been born_

_And you tie yourself to the tracks_

_And there isn't no going back_

_And it's wrong wrong wrong_

_Are you pulling her from a burning building_

_Or throwing her to the sharks_

_Can only hope that the ending is as pleasurable as the start_

_That's right, he won't let her out his sight_

_You knew that it'd be trouble right before the very first kiss_

_Quiet and unassuming but you heard that they were the naughtiest_

_She pleaded with you to take it off_

_But you resisted and fought_

_Sorry sweetheart, I'd much rather keep on the balaclava._

"_Balaclava" - Arctic Monkeys_

Chapter 7- He Won't Let Her Out His Sight

_May 9th, 1994_

_It was a sunny Monday morning, just two days after their college graduation, and Skye was finally supposed to meet Kai's parents. Traffic was heavy on Interstate-5, and the couple had gotten a late start. Kai weaved in and out of lanes and around the other cars like a maniac, at least by Skye's measure. _

"_Kai, slow down, please," Skye persisted. This was her third try, and Kai wasn't listening, or more appropriately, obeying. In fact, sometimes, she suspected he went a little faster each time she asked. _

"_Skye, I have to speed if we want to get to my parents' house on time," he reasoned. "Punctuality is crucial to a first impression, and you were the one that wanted to give them a good one, right?"_

_Skye scoffed. She had originally wanted to make the best impression she could, but she felt like any shot at a good impression was blown now, as she sat, perched on the edge of her seat with the visor mirror pulled down, dabbing at the glaring red spot on her neck with some foundation powder. "Not at the expense of my life. And we wouldn't be late if it wasn't for you," she remained him lightly. She was surprised that Kai was actually eager to be headed home, normally he dreaded it. _

"_Excuse me, _you _were the one who suddenly decided your entire wardrobe was inadequate."_

"_I would've found something sooner if hadn't distracted me," she countered. _

"_If anything, _you _distracted _me _by your lack of clothes," Kai shot back, good-naturedly. She couldn't help but let out a short laugh at the statement. The sound made him grin. God, did she love that grin-his square, white teeth and soft lips. The way it lit up his whole face, and almost put her in a trance, reminiscent to the first time she had ever seen him. It almost made her forget small annoyance with him. Almost, because the red spot still remained partly visible in the visor mirror, in spite of the make up._

_Normally, she wouldn't care about a hickey, but on the day she was going to meet his parents for the first time, it seemed a little inappropriate. Luckily, her hair could cover it, should the powder wear off, as long as she kept it resting over her neck. _

_She shut the visor, and leaned back in her seat. Surveying Kai as he drove, lounging in the seat, with one hand on the wheel and the other resting on the windowsill of the door, she was envious of his casual clothing: tan cargo pants, a reddish T-shirt, a white long-sleeved shirt underneath, his omnipresent silver chain, and black cuff bracelet. She wished she could've just showed up in her ripped jeans, worn Converse, and faded Beatles shirt, but she figured that wouldn't be very prudent. So she settled for her black and white flower printed sundress paired with a white T-shirt underneath it. It was a little bit casual, but still dressy enough to be appropriate for the occasion, she thought. Of course, Kai barely gave her an opinion either way, stating only "clothes," when she had asked him what to wear. Studying him closer, she came to a realization. _

"_You're not wearing black today?" she asked. The couple had been in a period of mourning, with the recent suicide of Kurt Cobain. _

"_No, today's a happy day," he said. "My beautiful girlfriend is finally meet my crackpot parents, who, by the way, still owe me a very special 22nd birthday present."_

"_Your birthday was months ago." January 26th to be exact. He had first reminded her four months in advance, and kept reminding her at least three times a month as it got closer. They had celebrated it by themselves early on the 7th because she had surprised him with a pair of concert tickets to see Nirvana in Seattle-they had a great time together, that was even more special now being one of Kurt's last performances. On Kai's real birthday, they celebrated by themselves again with dinner and cake at their apartment. She thought they had a good time then too, at least from what she actually remembered as two bottles of tequila had been involved. _

_"They wanted to wait to give us this present," he explained, smiling infectiously. He seemed excited at the prospect of this gift._

_"Ooo, is it a car?" she burst out. "Please let it be a new car." They desperately need a new one because she wasn't sure the one, a black '76 Lincoln Continental, they were currently riding in was going to make it very long in their next phase of life. They were moving to Seattle, where Kai had gotten accepted into the University of Washington's medical school program, and she had applied for jobs at some of the city's independent publishing houses._

_"No," he laughed. "Something even better than that. Something I've wanted for a long time," he told her, his voice now enigmatically wistful. She tried to think up guesses as to what that _something _could be, but when she voiced them, he denied each one. _

_They drove for thirty-five more minutes, and it was only when they passed through Portland's downtown that the gravity of the situation settled over Skye. She could feel her nerves setting in and getting the best of her; she grew quieter. It was only when they were fifteen minutes completely past Portland and on a two-lane country highway, surrounded by woodland, that she spoke up again. "Whoa, I didn't know you lived this far out. Have you secretly been a farm boy this whole time, Kai?" _

_"I just have very paranoid parents. And please, no Deliverance jokes, either, babe," he said, giving her a humorless glance. "We only have about twenty more minutes until we get there." Pointing to the car clock that read 11: 40, he teased, "Would you look at that? Right on time." _

_She ignored his teasing because her nerves skyrocketed. "Tell me about them again, please," she pleaded. _

_Sighing, he told her his tips again, which actually resembled reassurances more - reminding her that his Dad was a curmudgeon that didn't like anyone, his twin sister, Josette, and other six siblings, whom he already described in infinite detail at her insistence, would like her for novelty's sake, and that his mother, though she could be guarded, really had no reason to _not _like her. Skye, focusing on his words and keeping the pit in her stomach settled, really paid no attention to his turns and the car's exterior surroundings and was stunned when they had finally arrived at their destination. _

_"We're here," he announced cheerfully. Here was deep into the forest, on a dirt path. She didn't really see anything except trees. No structures, no sign of civilization. Turning back to his amused face, she shot him a confused look. _

_"Is this the part where you reveal you're actually a psycho, and then savagely murder me?" she asked, jokingly. Though, a small part of her might have been half serious._

_He started laughing, laughter that slowly turned into cackling practically. "Cackling is not really reassuring," she said, while he attempted to calm himself._

_"Ah, you're too funny, babe," he said, coming down from his fit, letting a few chuckles escape him intermittently. Leaning over, he kissed her temple. "Come on, we have to walk the rest of the way." _

_She stepped out and followed him as strolled forward confidently until he passed through two small, post-like brick structures and they were suddenly greeted by a two-story white house in the middle of a clearing. It was large, it was charming; a quintessential family home. Skye became self-conscious-this house was like three times the size of her family's home in Salem. _

_Kai stopped for her in the yard a few feet from the porch steps, as she took everything in. She smiled at him. "Wow, it's beautiful," she said. _

_He only rolled his eyes, and that's when the front door slammed open with a bang. A young woman with dark hair rushed out, headed for Skye. She caught Skye in a tight hug, which the Skye returned somewhat tentatively. She glanced over the girl shoulder to Kai, who was laughing to himself quietly at his sister's exuberance. "It so great to finally meet you, Skyler," the girl said, as she pulled away. _

_"Josette?" Skye asked, smiling warmly, as she regarded the girl that looked like a female version of Kai._

_"Oh, sorry. You can call me Jo," Josette replied. "I'm just excited. Kai's never brought home any of his girlfriends before." _

_"Oh, really?" she asked, grinning at him. He had tensed at his sister's admission. _

_"Jo," Kai warned. _

_But before Skye could ask for details, they were interrupted by other Parker family members slowly filtering their way out of the house and into the yard. Two very young children, a boy and girl, four years old, blond and angelic, came up behind Jo. The boy hid behind Jo's legs, but the girl eyed Skye critically. _

"_You must be Lucas and Olivia," she said, remembering the information she had pried out of Kai. _

_Jo reached her hand down to smooth Lucas's hair. "Can you two say hi?" _

"_Hi," Olivia said shyly. Lucas remained quiet. _

_Two boys and a girl were behind the twins. The girl was the tallest, skinny and a blonde as well, she looked to be on the cusp of teenagerdom, complete with braces and acne. Skye smiled at her next. "Nicoletta, right?" she asked, holding out her hand. The girl shook her hand, returning the smile. The two boys, the taller one Skye figured was Joseph, eleven and blonde, and the shorter, younger one with dark hair was Isaac, gave her perplexed looks, before they turned to Kai. "Who is she?" Joey asked._

"_This, little bro-," Kai said, coming to Skye's side and wrapping his arm around her shoulders. "-is Skye, my girlfriend." _

_Isaac crinkled up his nose at the word 'girlfriend.' Joey, however, teased, "You could get a girlfriend?" _

"_Ha, ha," Kai returned sarcastically, releasing Skye to lunge at his brother playfully, ruffling his hair. _

"_Joseph, don't be rude," a new voice chastised. An older, thin woman had appeared on the porch, smiling. She had blonde hair and as she made her way down the porch stairs, past her numerous children who parted like the Red Sea, and closer to Skye. Skye noticed her eyes were exactly like Kai's. She extended her hand. "Alison Parker, pleased to meet you. Skyler, right?"_

"_Yes, ma'am," Skye said, feeling her nerves, which had dissipated at Kai's siblings' informal reception, resurface at the older woman's entrance. This was who she had to impress, after all. She vaguely heard Kai's snicker in the background. _

_"I hope you're hungry, Skyler," said. "Lunch is already on the table." Isaac and Joey bounded up the stairs and through the door within the instant, Mrs. Parker following right after, leading Jo, Nicoletta, and the twins, leaving Kai and Skye in the rear. _

_Skye took a deep breathe. Kai grabbed her hand, pulling her forward. "Ma'am?" he questioned, his eyes gleaming laughingly. _

"_I got nervous," she replied quietly. He squeezed her hand, and it gave her just a tad more confidence as they walked up the porch steps. _

* * *

Skye was getting really tired of waking up from drug-induced sleeps, disoriented and terrified. Unable to recognize her surroundings, or even tell how much time had passed. Everything ached-her limbs, her head. She dreaded even opening her eyes, fearing what she would see. Her mutilated body, maybe. Worse, now she had to worry about Bonnie, and what Kai had done to her. Her brain had no qualms assaulting her with images of all of sorts of horrific possibilities-all deriving from her own experiences at Kai's expert and terrible hands.

All she knew at this particular moment of awakening was that someone was crinkling cellophane really loudly, exacerbating the pain in her aching head, music was playing softly in the background, and she was in a moving car-its interior she vaguely recognized. Her drug-dazed brain could identify the song, Nirvana's "In Bloom,", but not the tree-lined, straight, two lane highway she observed through the windshield. Glancing over, she saw Kai behind the steering wheel, eating a Twinkie in an obnoxious way, almost stuffing the whole confection in his mouth at once while a can of Coke fizzed in the cupholder of the console.

He had changed his clothes; now clad in black cargo pants, a dark blue jacket, a light blue graphic shirt, and combat boots. His hand went down to the Coke can, without looking. She watched as he took a hearty swig.

She looked down at herself, she was still dressed in her blood drenched outfit from who knew how many days ago, except the buttons of the shirt had been done up to cover her tank top. And her hands were sitting in her lap, bound together with duct tape. She didn't know whether to be happy or angry that he hadn't tried to clean her or change her clothes, but she settled for being disgusted about everything overall. She brought her hands up to her chest, and fingered the rough patches of dried blood along her skin, the duct tape somewhat hindering her mobility. She hadn't even thought about her appearance when she and Bonnie had been running around Mystic Falls.

Her movements caught Kai's attention as he pulled the can from his lips. "Mm, you're up. Great timing once again, babe."

"So how long have you kept me knocked out?" she questioned dully. Her voice was hoarse.

"For two wonderful days, which were filled with complete solitude," he answered, smirking. "It was great not having to listen to you two: 'blah...blah…blah...Kai, you're a sociopath...blah blah being moral and self-righteous is so fun.' Not." He took another sip of the Coke then held the can out to her. "Thirsty?"

Skye hesitated before begrudgingly taking the can from his grasp awkwardly. She only took it because her mouth felt like it was stuffed with cotton.

She drank, feeling ridiculous and uncoordinated because of her taped hands, and Kai started slowing the car. She pulled the can from her mouth in alarm as Kai turned right onto a gravel road, one that lead into a forest. She craned her neck to look through the passenger window for a road sign, but did not find one. "Where are we going?"

"You'll see," he answered cryptically. She cast a look over her shoulder to be met with an empty backseat, and then felt ashamed as a new thought occurred, one she hadn't thought of before.

"Where's Bonnie?" she asked, worriedly.

"Relax," he said, chuckling at her tone. "She's in the trunk. Don't worry, she's tied up."

Skye exhaled loudly; she couldn't say she was surprised. "So how was I so lucky to be put up front?"

"I wanted the company," he shrugged, casual. "Now, I will put on some Hole if you stop asking questions. I know how you love your angry feminists."

She was ready to stop anyway, but Kai stayed true to his promise. For the next fifteen minutes, they listened to Courtney Love's harsh vocals as he drove deeper and deeper into the forest. Soon, the gravel gave way to a large dirt track, and it was only when Kai came to a stop a little distance away from two old, dilapidated brick gate posts, and the vast clearing that laid beyond that Skye realized where they were. His family's house, which meant they were outside of Portland. This turns of events actually did surprise her. She hadn't been here since the beginning of their incarceration, and she didn't think Kai had been here that much either in their time in the prison world.

Skye immediately stepped out from the car while Kai cut the engine, and headed to the trunk. Seeing the car in all it's hulking glory, she realized with some amazement it was the one Kai drove before he snapped. The one they had shared while they had lived together. He must've kept it safely in Portland. _Of course he would take care of his car_, she thought bitterly.

It only registered belatedly that she couldn't open the trunk, and she sighed. She waited impatiently as Kai leisurely made his way to the trunk with the key, a smug expression on his face.

He lifted the truck lid high. "Wakey, wakey."

Skye heard Bonnie made a disgruntled noise, and tried to peer in, but Kai blocked her way as he grasped Bonnie's arms, and hefted her out of the car onto her feet opposite them.

Her gaze darted around her unfamiliar surroundings, before her attention focused on Skye. "How did I-?"

Kai, leaning his hand on the upturned trunk lid, interrupted her, "Get so lucky to arrive here on a private flight piloted by yours truly?"

Bonnie looked as disoriented and confused as Skye felt at the moment. Skye opened her mouth to provide some reassurance, but Kai was still running his mouth.

"Oh, you would've been super impressed with my flying skills," Kai continued arrogantly. "But I had already knocked you out with pain killers." He reached into the truck again, retrieved his green bag, then threw it to the ground. Skye wondered if there were any more painkillers or syringes in there, and contemplated making a grab for it, but was distracted by Bonnie's question.

"Where are we?"

"Portland, Oregon," Kai replied. "Stomping grounds of Courtney Love, Tonya Harding,-" Apparently, Skye should've been paying more attention to Kai, who now held a switchblade. He released the blade, and turned towards Skye, "-and tons of other awesome people." He grabbed her left arm with his free hand, raising her bound wrists up in the air, and swiped the blade between them, severing the tape.

"Please," Skye snorted, as she flexed her sore wrists and rubbed them gingerly. His fingers lingered on her skin, causing a familiar tingle, but she quickly pulled her arm away. "You only think Tonya Harding's awesome because of the whole Nancy Kerrigan incident."

He had taken a step back and was now smiling mischievously, still keeping a tight grip on the knife. "Sometimes, babe, you just have to fight dirty to get what you want out of life."

"Oh, was that a Kai Parker original? Are you on par with Plato now?" Skye deadpanned, scowling. His smiled relaxed, but he had titled his head and his eyes were fixed on her intently, glinting wryly.

However, Bonnie seemed to have no clue what they were talking about and cut in, "You could've brought us anywhere in the world, and you took us to _Portland_?" Skye laughed at a little at the witch's unimpressed tone. Kai turned, and cut through Bonnie's binding more roughly and quickly. "This is where I grew up," he explained.

"Ow," she complained, grabbing her wrist in pain. Kai threw the tape remnants carelessly to the ground, where they landed on the backpack.

Kai propped his elbow on the trunk lid. "I've been counting eclipses since I was imprisoned on this empty planet, and according to my running tally, I've been here for 6, 771 supernaturally repeating days." Bonnie swayed, dropping to rest against the car. Skye stepped towards her in alarm, while Kai remained undisturbed. "So in the real world, which we'll never get back to because you sent your magic away in a teddy bear, today's my favorite day of the year," he finished with a small smile.

Skye paused, coming to a stop beside Bonnie as the witch resumed her upright position again with little difficulty, and questioned Kai, "And what day is that?"

"His birthday, probably," Skye said. He always made a big deal about it, even during their imprisonment.

"Nope, Thanksgiving," he informed, shutting the trunk. "I'm cooking you both dinner." He flicked the pointed end of the knife between them, before he turned and set off around the car, walking towards the brick gate posts.

Bonnie looked at her in bewilderment. Skye just shook her head, and headed towards the backpack Kai had left behind. "This is what he does; it's a cycle. Maim and brutalize then play nice," she explained. Lifting the bag, she was disappointed by how light it was. She was guessing it was empty, and she was completely right, she learned, as she swept its inside and various other pockets. "He thinks changing tactics will get him what he wants. Except-" she broke out, pausing to think. She didn't know where the other backpack was, and she hadn't seen it inside the car. Which meant it was probably in the now closed trunk they couldn't access, containing who knew what.

"Except we don't know what he's up to?" Bonnie finished for her. Skye nodded, pushing her hair back anxiously.

"Hurry up!" Kai called out across the distance. He had come to a stop right at the brick posts, the threshold to his yard.

"I guess we're gonna find out," Skye said. The girls fell in step with each other as they started towards where Kai was waiting for them impatiently, leant against a tree. He brought his black cuff bracelet up twice, in a exaggerated display of checking the time, but Skye knew the bracelet had no clock.

"Can he really fly a plane?" Bonnie asked, eyeing Kai suspiciously.

"One of us had to learn if we wanted to go to Europe," Skye responded then cringed. She didn't like to think about their time in Europe.

When they were close to him, he pushed off from the tree and finally walked past the brick structures into the yard. "Ahh, memories," he said, tinkering with the knife in his hands. Skye and Bonnie followed, a few feet behind. Skye noticed as he slipped the switchblade into his right pocket.

Before them stood the beautiful and big white house just as Skye remembered it, complete with blue accented doors and shutters. A pink bike thrown down in the yard, a toy cart and wooden rocking chair on the porch - its exterior gave off an aura of homeliness, but Skye knew the nightmarish interior didn't match.

Walking up the stairs of the porch, carefully and slowly, Kai spoke with nostalgia, "The pitter-patter of little siblings' feet. Witchy-woo chanting in the air. Mom and Dad calling me an abomination." Skye detected a slight hitch in Kai's delivery of the words, on 'abomination.'

She wondered for a small moment if the hitch was genuine.

"Why would you wanna come back here?" Bonnie inquired.

"'Cause I can finally show it to someone," he answered. Upon seeing Skye's baffled face, he added,"Someone other than Skye, because that really only lasted a day, and happened under very special circumstances."

"Plus, let's not forget the extenuating circumstances that followed," Skye interjected.

But Kai wasn't ready to acknowledge those circumstances, and so proceeded like she hadn't spoken, instead focusing on Bonnie. "My coven goes out of their way to make sure no finds us. But since they're not here to be paranoid freak shows-" he indicated behind him with a flourish of his arm, "Mi casa es su casa."

Bonnie glanced unsurely at Skye, but Skye's sickened gaze was fixed on Kai.

Biting his bottom lip, Kai waved them forward. "Come on," he encouraged excitedly before opening the creaking door.

Bonnie went in first, and Skye was not far behind. Skye immediately noticed Bonnie's slight flinch at the first patch of blood that greeted them in the dim and musty foyer-the smear on the side of the staircase. Skye's eyes darted to the other spots-the small splatter on the hardwood floor, then the big pool up ahead in the short hall. The long smear on the wall, then the red hand trail that traveled the length of the back door. Kai simply walked through; Skye watched as he dragged his hand along the wall smear, almost reverently.

She shuddered, and then took off up the stairs.

"Uh, where are you going?" Kai's voice came up through the stairwell. Skye didn't answer, only continued up to the second floor landing and worked quickly to sidestep more blood trails.

Reaching a closed door along the left hallway, she prayed it was a bathroom. It was, a small one. After turning the lock, she ran to the sink. She thought she might start hyperventilating any moment; it felt like she was returning to a scene of a recent crime. _Because you are_, she thought, even after 18 years. Finally seeing the state of her appearance in the mirror above the sink didn't help one bit. Her hair was matted, she was pale, there was a huge red stain peeking out from the collar of her flannel shirt. Instantly, Skye bent to pull open the cabinet doors under the sink, and grabbed a washrag she found there. She wet it, unbuttoned her shirt, and scrubbed at her skin until the faint traces of any blood were washed away down the sink, and her skin was red for a different reason, being rubbed raw. She scrubbed her face with a different washrag. She grimaced at the pink tank top, that was originally bright white. She bent her head under the spray of water, and wet her hair, combing her fingers through it. She dried the thick, sopping strands with a white towel she also found in the cabinet.

After her ministrations, Skye felt a little better, a little more refreshed and calmer. More clear-headed, and that's when she remembered she had selfishly left Bonnie alone with Kai.

"Shit," she whispered, and rushed to open the door. However, she was met with Kai's chest, and tried to back away. He grabbed her arms to stop her, but his touch was light, only minimally restraining her. She looked up in surprise, but Kai's face was expressionless, and he only seemed to be interested in scanning her face.

"Were you standing outside the door the whole time?" she asked.

"Nope, just got up here," he replied. "I thought I should check on you - I wouldn't want you going all 'Girl Interrupted' on us."

"Oh, I wouldn't dream of stealing your role, Mal," she said, pulling her arms out of his grip. "Don't pretend to care, you're not good at it, and I won't believe you anyway."

He let out a small laugh, and the corners of his mouth quirked up in amusement."You're right." But even as he said it, his hand reached up to tuck one of her wet tresses behind her ear. She didn't flinch or recoil, just focused on his quietly smoldering face, even as his hand drifted to rest on her cheek, his thumb tracing her cheekbone. "Bonnie was actually worried about you." His hand went to her chin, to hold her in place, and he seemed to gauge her reaction, or really the lack of one, before he leant down and brushed his lips against hers softly. Her eyes closed at the contact, but she refused to be affected by it, gritting her teeth. He pulled away a second later with a smirk, "But I know you're made of _way _stronger stuff." Her lips felt they had been branded red hot, matching the heat that had flared up in her body. The kiss itself was a mockery of gentleness and assurance, she wasn't sure why she had even allowed it to happen. Even as he was calling her strong, she didn't feel it, and perhaps that's why she didn't push him away.

"Come on," he said nonchalantly, already headed down the hallway to the landing. Skye followed slowly behind.

"I've already got our Thanksgiving spaghetti going. You're making garlic bread," he explained, as he sauntered down the stairs into the foyer, where she could hear the radio playing from the kitchen.

Going down the hall, however, Kai turned left down a different hallway, instead of right into the kitchen. She stopped by the end of the stairs, stupefied by the sight of the macabre blood prints. Kai appeared, a minute later, and strolled past, now carrying a bottle of wine. He didn't even spare her a glance as he went straight into the kitchen, and she heard him talking again. _Poor Bonnie_, she thought.

"Skye, get in here," he drawled loudly. Just as Skye crossed the threshold into the surprisingly small kitschy kitchen, Kai was snapping at Bonnie, "Don't touch that." He was behind the kitchen island and the stove which, Skye observed, had several pots and pans on its surface over lit burners.

The witch, seated at the table in the corner, held the boy's pager aloft, and snorted. "Your pager?" she asked. "Why?"

"He can be a little possessive," Skye told her, approaching the table and leaning against one of the chairs' back. "Kinda like a small child with his toys."

Bonnie smiled at her, but Skye also saw the concern her eyes. She gave her a small smile back to indicate her now calm, if somewhat unnerved, state of mind.

"Actually, because it's brand new, looks cool," Kai listed, putting a stray vegetable in his mouth. Chewing, and wiping his hand on a towel, he made his way over to the table. "And I don't want you to bust it," he finished, snatching the device from her grasp and winking at her. Bonnie let him, staring after him in astonishment as he walked back to the stove and hooked the pager to his waistband. She was probably, and understandably, flabbergasted at his weird flirtatiousness. Skye was entertained momentarily by her expression.

"Babe, can you please get started on the garlic bread?" he asked, while Bonnie floundered.

Skye sighed, loudly. "Since I've got nothing better to do, why not?" She was hungry too. She walked behind the island too, until she was in front of the cutting board where he had thoughtfully already cut up a baguette. Next, to the board was butter, a butter knife, and garlic seasoning powder. She picked up the knife and began spreading the butter on each slice of the bread.

Bonnie, in the next moment, seemed to come out of her shock. "Listen, Kai," she started. "My magic's gone. Which means we will be stuck here forever. Why don't we just divide the world in half and go our separate ways?"

"Ooo, that's a good idea, Bonnie," Skye chimed in. "We can take Europe. Kai, you can have Australia." He deserved to be living in the remotest continent, with the most deadly creatures. Kai glowered at her, before he put his attention back on Bonnie, who had nodded her enthusiastic agreement.

"I get it, Bonnie," he said, lifting a lid from a pot and letting steam escape. "I knocked you out, kidnapped you against your will. Can't you see I'm trying to apologize? Ask Skye, even she understands it's better to forgive and forget. Right, babe?" Skye had stopped spreading at the mention of her name, and was focused on giving Kai a dirty look as he glanced at her with a genuinely hopeful expression. His words had been darkly serious, his voice almost gravelly, a stark contrast to his usual caustically playful, lazy tone.

"I will never trust you, or like you, or enjoy your company for so much as one second," Bonnie told him vehemently. "And I know Skye doesn't either, at least not anymore. So just quit trying, just let us leave here unharmed." Skye admired the witch's bravery, but she wasn't so sure her request was going to be granted.

Kai went still at her words, and he seemed to be staring fixedly at a spot on the floor, his expression grim. "Fine," he said, replacing the lid on the pot before pulling the powder blue pot holder off his hand. "Can we at least have one last dinner conversation before my eternity of relative aloneness resumes?"

"So you agree?" Bonnie clarified. "One last dinner and then we peacefully go our separate ways?"

"In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I'll even let you take my car," Kai offered, his tone lighter and his profile, Skye saw from her periphery, was more relaxed and boyish.

Skye thought they should both be still wary of the sociopath, however, no matter how hard he kept up the pretense of cordiality and sincerity. Even if he let them leave today, he would find them again, no matter where they went.

"How can I help?" Bonnie asked cheerfully, smiling, having decided to trust his words, and reached for the wine bottle Kai had set on the table.

He smiled back. "I hope you like white wine, Bonnie," he said, as he shifted behind Skye, putting one hand on the small of her back. A hand that burnt through her shirt with its warmth. "It's Skye's favorite," he informed, opening a drawer beside her hip, and pulling out a corkscrew. As he walked the tool over to the witch, Skye, however, still couldn't shake the gnawing feeling of uneasiness.

_A/N: Here it is! Once again, it's not the whole episode, but I desperately wanted to give you guys something after making you wait for three weeks. I won't give excuses, just know I'm sorry. I'm also sorry it prolongs the present narrative a bit longer, but I'm also able to explore the past more this way. Anyway, I also wanted to think my friend, Alison, for letting me use her name. She writes totally awesome Supernatural fanfics if you guys want to check her out, her user name is alisonmichal. _

_Thanks time ten to everyone who has kept following and favoriting this story. We've crossed the the 100 threshold in every category, I never thought it would be reached this quickly. Also, special thanks to the reviewers:_

_Guests: Thank you all so much for your encouraging words! I hope you guys like this update!_

_welcomeisland__: That was a very high compliment, thank you! I hope you like this chapter. _

_SourlessCherryxx__: Lol, thank you so much! I'm sorry I didn't update sooner! I'm glad Skye's your favorite, and that you like her and Bonnie's friendship. Of course, I agree about Kai, haha. _

_TetraGirl__: __Thank you! Sorry, it didn't come soon, but I hope this chapter is good enough to make up for it. Hopefully, the next two will come quickly so you can see how she is in the real world and how they react to her. _

_RHatch89__: Thank you!_

_VampiresAndLiars__: Thank you! I tried to sneak a small one in just for you. Sorry if it was disappointing. Just know that a bigger and better one has already been planned and written for a long time; you just have to wait a little bit longer. Also, I'm glad you listen to the songs, it really means a lot. _

_thebluefeather__ : Thank you! Hope you like it!_

_BehindGrayEyes__: Thank you so much! Your review was so thoughtful, helpful, and kind. I hope you enjoy this chapter. _

_skinkypi__: Lol, you're welcome! Thank you for reviewing! I'm sorry I didn't update sooner, but I hope you like this chapter and that it causes the same emotions. _

_xCutePoison__ : Thank you! I hope you like this chapter! _

_Just Four Misfits__ : Thanks so much! I hope you love this one too. _

_GITANJALEE123__: Thank you! I wish I could add Kol, but I don't think he'd have a place that was worthy of him right now. Funnily enough, however, before my obsession with Kai began, I was obsessed with Kol and had planned an /OC fic for him. This story was more convenient to write at this time, but maybe I could return to the other one day in the near future. _

_XxMikealsonForeverxX__: Don't worry, take your time! Thank you for reviewing! Sorry to prolong their time in the prison world even more, but hopefully the new updates won't take long. Rebekah is pretty awesome! My fave is Elijah, but Kol is a close second. _

_Female whovian__: It's okay, and thank you! Lol, your review made me laugh, and I'm not freaked out one bit. Hope you like this chapter! _

_LivHardy__: Thank you! I hope you like this chapter! _

_MrsEnzo__: Of course! Thank you so much for reviewing! _

_sarahmichellegellarfan1__ : Thank you! Hope you love this one too!_

_Kelly1432__: Indeed it is. _

_annabethchase1500__: Thank you so much! I don't mind answering your question: Kai is definitely going to try. ; ) _

_Friday1221__: Thank you! I'm glad you like their weird relationships. As for Damon, it's hard to say. He's gonna pull something on them (Skye and Kai) in the future that might be considered "not cool." But I don't think it will be something Skye can't bounce back from. _

_omg: Lol, thank you!_

_Lizzy B Malfoy : I do, too. Thank you! I'm sorry if it wasn't soon enough. _

_anon: Sorry for the slow update! Especially because of the hiatus. I hope you like this chapter, and that it makes you forgive me?_

_evilHope89: Thank you so much! I hope you like this chapter too._

_KillerKai999: Thank you, and I'm sorry the update was slow._

_xxxanniexx: Thank you so much! I hope you like this chapter!_

_99Tina99 : Thank you so much! I'm sorry the update was slow._

_PhanPhicAddictHolmesWinchester: Thank you! Here's the update! You didn't have to wait as long as the others!_


	8. Chapter 8

Set during 6x08, "Fade Into You"

_Speak in tongues_

_I don't even recognize your face_

_Mirror on the wall_

_Tell me all the ways to stay away_

_Dig a hole_

_Fireworks exploding in my hands_

_If I could paint the sky_

_Would all the stars be shining bloody red?_

_Black out days_

_I don't recognize you anymore_

"_Black Out Days" - Phantogram_

Chapter 8 - I Don't Even Recognize Your Face

_May 9th, 1994_

_The inside of the Parker's remote residence was just as charming as the outside, decorated in shades of powder blue and white, light and airy. However, the reception inside the house by the rest of the Parker family was colder that the scene outside. Kai's last sibling, Eva, Skye remembered, a teenage girl with short dark hair and glasses, had her nose buried in a book in the living room and simply awarded them a passing glance before she volunteered to eat with Lucas and Olivia in the kitchen. This charitable action allowed Josette a break to eat with the rest of the family and their special guest in the dining room. The Parker __patriarch__ had only greeted them stiffly and somewhat reluctantly, simply responding, "Malachai," to Kai's sarcastically forced, "Hi, dad!" and shaking Skye's hand, nodding silently to her nervous rambling, before making his way to the head of the table. _

_Skye was a little discouraged by Mr. Parker's behavior, but instantly brightened once again, courtesy of the the __liveliness__ of the other family members around the table - which was large, oaken, and elegantly set, topped with steaming heaps of roasted chicken, __potatoes__, and greens. The kids chattered with their youthful __effervescence,__ all wanting to talk over each other and share their stories with the new person in their space. Mrs. Parker was all polite smiles, and Jo was full of questions for her twin brother and his girlfriend and their plans for the summer. _

_Halfway through, Joey had asked his older brother for a second time if they could play a game of Dr. Mario. Kai answered the same way, "Maybe after lunch, buddy." Skye__ chuckled at Joey's __eagerness __while__ Kai changed the subject, looking at Josette, his excitement clearly evident in his tone. "So sissy, did you hear about that eclipse for tomorrow?" _

_The question seemed innocuous enough. However, the __atmosphere__ of the room shifted as Josette blanched, and Mrs. Parker's fork fell to her plate with a clang. Skye's smile slowly faltered as she became confused by the women's reaction. Skye glanced to her right, at Kai, seated next to her, but his __smile was wide and unconcerned. _

_"Malachai, we have a guest," Mrs. Parker reminded quietly. Her ever-present smile now became pinched as she glanced up at her husband, seated across from her at the other end of the long table. However, Mr. Parker was just as rigid as he had been since he first came to be in his eldest son's __presence__. _

_Kai shrugged. "It's just Skye. But back to that eclipse, wouldn't it be just the right event to say... perform a special birthday ritual under?" _

_"A birthday ritual?" Skye questioned curiously. "What does that entail?" She recalled him mentioning a birthday present in the car, not anything about a ritual. _

_"It's actually really cool, babe," he answered, turning to her. "It's called the Merge; it's a tradition in this family. It's a kind of __competition__, I guess. Only it would really suck to lose." _

_Skye's brow had slowly furrowed during his statement; she would've asked for more explanation had Mr. Parker not smacked the wooden table hard, rattling the glassware on the table, and snapped,"Malachai!" Skye startled, but no else in the room had even flinched. There was a moment of tense silence, in which the other Parker children fell very quiet and concentrated on staring at theirs plates, but kept eating like this kind of situation at the dinner table was typical. Although, Skye observed that Josette looked slightly sick, picking at her potatoes. Mr. Parker broke the silence with his next words,"We may discuss this matter _alone _after lunch. Now, there will be no more talk of it."_

_Kai opened his mouth once again, probably in protest, but was stopped by his mother's cautious plea. "Malachai, please." _

_Kai's shoulders hunched, and he focused moodily on his plate, __sawing__ into his chicken more ruthlessly than before. Skye didn't really know how to react to the whole exchange, but it seemed to be a sore spot to the rest of the family. She was glad the subject was being dropped, no matter how much it upset Kai to do so. _

_"Skyler, remind me again. What was it you studied at school?" Mrs. Parker asked, a moment later. _

_"English Lit," she said quickly, eager to kill the thick tension that lingered._

_Mrs. Parker nodded appreciatively. "Do you have a favorite period? Author?"_

_Skye searched and settled for what had been most recently taught to her. "Well, I did just finish a Shakespeare class, so he's on the forefront of my mind." _

_"Oh, go__od choice!__"__Mrs. Parker __chirped. __"__Do you prefer the tragedies or comedies?"_

_Skye did not hesitate. "Oh, definitely the tragedies. _Titus Andronicus _is my favorite." She glanced over to Kai, expecting some kind of reaction. She remembered fondly when she told had him all about, arguably, Shakespeare's most violent and __heinous__ play. How he had seized the opportunity almost __instantaneously__ to devour it, and then a few days later, single-handedly recite it. She had laughed at his overwrought performance, and wondered, not for the first time, whether he should've studied drama instead of medicine. _

_But Kai still sulked, his lips pursed, smashing his green beans with his fork. _

_Skye reached her hand out under the table, towards his knee. She wanted to squeeze it, offer some type of comfort. Upon her touch, however, Kai jerked his leg away. Skye was reminded __again,__ that instant, that Kai's parents really caused a different side of him to surface, one very distant to her. _

_Disheartened, Skye pulled her hand back and turned her attention back to Mrs. Parker as she shared her favorite Shakespeare play. "Mine's _Romeo and Juliet._ I love it's didactic quality. It really teaches a lesson about what could happen when kids don't listen to their parents," she said, her tone light and playful, directed teasingly at Nicoletta, Joseph, and Isaac, but her intention couldn't be clearer, honestly. Skye experienced a pang of discomfort at the pointed statement. _

_Thankfully, Josette chimed in with her favorite play, which was a comedy, _Much Ado About Nothing_, and the subject matter lightened, as the two oldest men at the table stewed in th__eir respective silences__. _

_When all plates were relatively clean, Mr. Parker stood, gruffly thanked his wife for lunch while she smiled graciously, and left the dining room. _

_Kai, wordlessly, with a stony face, soon stood and followed after him._

_An hour later, Skye sat in the living room, waiting on Kai to emerge from the room he was enclosed in with his father. Earlier, at the table, she'd offered to help with the dishes, but Mrs. Parker had declined, telling her Jo and Eva were on top of it, but suggested instead if she could occupy the other kids while they cleaned. _

_Her eyes drifted from Olivia and Lucas at her feet, coloring with crayons on white sheets of paper, to the clock on the wall. In a half- hour, she and Kai were supposed to be on the road, headed to Salem to see her family. _

_Electronic music emanated from the television as Joey sat, cross-legged in front of it on the __hardwood__ floor, playing on his __Nintendo__. His patience with waiting for Kai had __lapsed__ thirty minutes ago. Skye could understand as she felt her own patience waning. _

_However, Isaac and Nicoletta had brought it on themselves to entertain and distract her while the other kids were occupied. Skye was enjoying herself and her interaction with Isaac who sat on her right, curled up with a Batman comic book, informing her of the "super" hero's merits while Skye played dumb. Nicoletta sat on her left; the younger girl had parted and __began__ braiding part of Skye's long hair, apparently, as she put it, to practice her own French braiding; she wanted her pin straight hair to be wavy like Skye's. As she braided, and Isaac continued with his one-sided debate in a imperious Kai-like way that that had Skye __grinning__ amusedly, the vicious slam of a door sounded. Skye looked left, through the living room's archway, to the foyer, to see Kai storm by, already out the front door with another __jarring__ slam before she could even gingerly untangle her hair from Nicoletta's grip._

_"Excuse me guys, I'll be right back," she promised them, as she stood. _

_"Hold it's place," Nicoletta urged frantically. "I'll finish it when you get back." _

_"Okay, sweetie," she said, bringing one hand up to keep the nearly done braid from unraveling. She vaguely heard Isaac's grumble, "I didn't even get to talk about the Bat Mobile." _

_She reached the front door, opening it to an empty yard. She sighed, she was hoping to catch Kai and calm him down. At least, from what s__he__ could see at a distance, the car was still parked on the dirt track. _

_"He'll won't be back for a few hours." Josette had come up behind her. Skye turned to her, noting her still rather pale complexion._

_"So this happens a lot?" Skye asked, though it was more a statement. _

_Josette shrugged, "Only __every time__ he's home. He always manages to upset Dad in some way. Then he always gets angry after they fight, storms out, and blows off steam in the woods. Punching trees, I guess. At least that's what he says when I ask him about the blood stains he usually comes back with on his hands and clothes. But last time he was here -"_

_"Christmas," Skye interrupted knowingly, absently. She was trying to remember the last time she had seen Kai this angry, if she even had. She knew he could throw some minor temper tantrums, but those were usually over petty matters like a newspaper critic's article which insisted _Baywatch _should be cancelled or her blasting Tears for Fear__s__, regardless of the time of day. He could also pout and sullenly brood__. __When he was really angry, however, it was a cold fury -unnervingly calm and deadly and v__iolent__. Truthfully, it was only something she had the__ opportunity__ of witnessing in extreme situations like the one time some guy was being pushy towards her at a bar (the cops were called that night and so was an ambulance; he had drawn blood that night too) __or like a few minutes before with the door slamming__. It was never really directed at her that often, if at all, because she rarely did anything to incur it. If anything, he was always the one infuriating her. But she had never known him to isolate himself. It seemed to Skye that Kai normally wanted the object of his ire to know he was mad at them, whether mild or extreme. _

_"Yep, Christmas. He left in his car instead, and we didn't hear hear from him until I called him for our birthday." _

_"He came to my house," Skye told her quietly, slightly perturbed that they waited a full month to check on him. She was slowly understanding why Kai hated his parents and his home. _

_Jo gave her a small smile. "I figured. That's what I was hoping, anyway. You're different, and definitely someone my brother needs in his life."_

_Skye smiled back, but it was more a __subconscious__ action, to save face. She was different, different to the toxic people who surrounded him apparently. She was perfectly content to stay apart of his life as well. She now just wanted to find Kai and leave this place, but he had made it impossible. _

_"I see Nicoletta got ahold of you," Josette said, stepping forward, fingering the __strands__ of her own hair. _

_Skye huffed out a laugh, as she realized she was still holding the braid together. "She's very persuasive."_

_Five and a half hours passed, the sun was setting, and Kai was still AWOL. Skye had called her Mom the hour before to inform that they were running late, really late. When he showed up, he was getting an ear-full from her. _

_Mr. and Mrs. Parker left before dinner, profusely __apologizing__ for their son's prolonged absence and that the fact that they had to leave for their long-planned "date night." Mr. Parker had simply shook her hand once again, and disappeared out of the door. Mrs. Parker had given her a hug, expressing a wish to see her again. __She returned the sentiment with a strained smile._

_Mrs. Parker designated Josette in charge. Skye watched as Mrs. Parker pressed a kiss to Jo's cheek, and her mind wandered back to that afternoon. _How had she greeted Kai? _She hadn't. She hadn't greeted the son she hadn't seen since Christmas. _

_Maybe Kai's impending ear-full would be more sympathetic than she had originally planned. _

_Another hour passed, in which she ate a less elaborate and __formal__ dinner - grilled cheese and soup- with the Parker siblings. She had even managed to initi__ate and __maintain a friendly __exchange__ with the eni__gmatic __Eva. Then it was movie time, __Isaac__ loudly dominating the discussion on what they'd watch, when Kai chose to make his reappearance._

_"Kai!" Joey called excitedly, being the first to notice. He __clambered__ up, and ran to his older brother, who seemed rooted to the archway of the living room. "We were just gonna watch a movie. Can you pick the movie so Isaac will shut up?" _

_But Kai ignored him. His eyes found Skye's, whose had been fixed to him since Joey's exclamation. "Skye, you ready to go?" His face was stoic, his voice quiet. Empty. Devoid of emotion. His stance was taut... but his eyes, she noted, were restless, agitated. While he waited on her response, they darted over his siblings. At Joey, who had already shrugged off his older brother's lack of acknowledgement and recommenced his argument with Isaac, who still insisted the group watch __Aladdin__. The oldest girls had Olivia and Lucas on their laps, trying to settle down for the movie in the hopes they would fall asleep for the night._

_"I guess," Skye said uncertainly, surprised at his haste. She stood, and glanced at Josette, who had moved to stand too, sliding Lucas off her lap onto the spot Skye had just vacated. She hugged Skye, giving her a big squeeze, which Skye tried to return half-heartedly. Jo started towards Kai, but he backed away and half-turned, his body angled towards the front door. Josette faltered, turning back to Skye, she flashed her a smile __that more closely resembled a grimace__. "Take care of him," she whispered before she sat back down. Skye nodded and bid goodbye to the other Parker children, before she made her way to Kai. He didn't even wait for her to reach him as he fled the house. _

_She waited until she had shut the door behind them to start in on him. "Hey, dickhead," she called, stomping down the stairs. "You're not even gonna say bye to your siblings?" _

_He stopped his rapid strides, and turned. She stopped her pursuit a few feet away. A muscle in his jaw was __twitching__, but not from anger. He appeared distressed. As she surveyed him, he took a deep, __forfeiting__ breathe, __then a step forward then a step back__. Skye's __own crossness__ was slowly turning into concern, as she moved closer to him. She had been expecting his __wrath__, not this __indecisive __display. He had obviously worked himself into some kind __of anxious mood __in the abundant time he'd spent in the woods, __a mood he still hadn't come out__. _

_"What's wrong, Kai?" _

_He snorted humorlessly, focused on the ground at his feet. His head came up again, but he stared at the house behind her. The __unrest__ had left his eyes, replaced by a look of calculation. _

_"Kai?" she prompted impatiently. _

_F__i__nally, he spoke, and it was with a voice that was very __hushed __and faraway, __"What would you do if the one thing you've been preparing your whole life for was being taken away from you?" _

_"What kind of question is that? Is this about that birthday ritual thing at lunch?" she demanded, __flummoxed__. _

_He threw her a __peeved look__, then, in the next second, he lunged at her. She jumped at the suddenness, but he only took her face in his hands, and closed his eyes, drawing another deep breath. Her hands came up to grip his wrists, half-alarmed, half-__apprehensive__. _

_"It's hypothetical. Just answer it, please," he whispered._

_She watched him draw more breaths as she __contemplated__ his question, her eyes tracing his tight features and her thumbs stroking the inside of his wrist. She had never known Kai to get caught up in such hypotheticals, at least the one concerning his future, being as he was, a "live in the moment" kind of guy. Inane hypotheticals, __usually related to pop-culture or unlikely real-life situations__, she was more used to from him. And this question seemed just as harmless as all those, even though it obviously bothered him more personally. _

_"I guess, I wouldn't let it happen," she started slowly. "If it meant a lot to me, I would do anything in my power to make sure I achieved it." The advice was self-serving, but, and she was the first to admit, she was a selfish person. And so was Kai. And she __reckoned__, from what she observed today, he deserved to be selfish when it came to dealing with his parents, the people who treated him so indifferently, only acknowledging him to rebuke him and deny his interests. _

_A smirk appeared almost instantly on his face, and the weight __resting__ heavily on his shoulders seem lightened. _

_"Nice answer, babe," he said, opening his eyes, dropping his hands. The blue-gray was now nearly completely black, and they held a gleam Skye had never been privy to, a look so __baleful__ it was disarming to her and compelled her to drop his wrists. "I knew there was a reason I kept you around." The last part was a teasing remark, but there was something so harsh and just plain mean in the way he said it._

_Skye's face contorted into a guarded expression. "What's that supposed to mean?" Her own tone, however, betrayed her __mystification__ at his change in behav__ior__. _

_His gaze penetrated her face, as he let her __fret__ in discomfort. The menace was still shining brightly in his eyes, but it was joined by something else- a resolve. She got chills, and they had nothing to do with the slight breeze that blew in the night air. _

_"Kai," she said fearfully, transfixed by his face. This person wasn't Kai, it couldn__'t be - __yet she was still calling him by his name. _

_She didn't see his hands moving to his waistband. _

_"It means-" Kai grabbed the back of her neck and pressed a hunting knife to her throat, "-you get to live."_

_She squealed, and struggled, attempting to draw away, mostly from the sharp blade, but also from him. But he tightened his grip, moving his fingers into her hair, entangling it, tugging painfully, digging his narrow fingers into her skull. "That is, as long as you're smart enough to _not _get in my way of course." She whimpered. _

_"Shhh, shhh," he hushed her. "I already know you're smart enough. But if you need more incentive, I can always drive to Salem after I'm through here."_

_"K-Kai," she __stammered__ out, pleading, despite the shock and fear that seemed content to freeze her body and nearly her mind, as distantly and as if through a clouded daze, his intentions became clear to her. _

_" I don't want to hurt you, Skye." His __admission__ was strangely sincere and __solemn__. _It hurts now, _she thought__, distraught._

_He continued, his voice transforming into something firmer and deadlier. "But I want to hurt the ones that have wronged me. You said it yourself, babe, just a few seconds ago. That I should do __everything__ in my power to make sure I achieved what I wanted. Well, _this _is what's in my power. And what better way to hurt them then to take away the people they actually love?_

_"Speaking of, silly me, I forgot to say __goodbye__ to my siblings," he grinned savagely. With that __ominous__ statement, he withdrew the knife and his hand from his hair, and left Skye as she swayed on the lawn._

_He had already closed the door behind him, when she managed to stagger up the stairs. The sound of the deadbolt lock echoed in her mind, long after Kai's devilish __countenance__ had disappeared from view. _

_When the first scream rent the night air, her stomach lurched with cold, naked horror. She couldn't even tell who it belonged to, the girlish shriek, because it could be that of a girl or a young boy's, whose voice hadn't cracked yet. Skye registered Kai's voice as he... taunted them. It was when the screams and crashes and bangs would stop suddenly-those were the moments her legs would almost give out under her._

_Bile rose in her throat, and in the next second, she was bent over the porch railing, expelling her dinner into the bushes. _

_Although, it was Skye's stark reality, the rest of the night played out like a dream, a bizarre nightmare. The kind in which one would wake with sleep paralysis - inescapable fear and terror that rendered one completely useless. She had woken, was beginning to realize just what and who Kai was, who and what he was choosing to become._

_It was all disjointed and out of body, the moments that followed. She didn't feel like herself when she slowly crept around the wrap-around porch; it was strange how she stood at a the corner of the house, pressed flat against the wall, eyes closed tight, and waited until the sound of __violently__ splashing water coming from the backyard pool __abruptly__ stopped. The sound of _his _somehow familiar and unfamiliar voice drifting into the still night air, grumbling about his brother fighting back. The slam of the back door as he continued on his merry massacre. _

_Exactly six minutes later, the flash of blond hair and little toddler legs running, smacking into her as they turned the corner. She shushed them, looking into their big, glistening eyes. "Come on," she whispered, picking up Lucas hurriedly and pulling Olivia's wrist. "We're gonna find a better hiding place," she promised as she lead them into the woods behind the house. _

_Mr. Parker found them crouched behind a tree. W__ith raised hand, h__e pried his children from her shaking form magically. It was the first time Skye had ever seen a witch perform his craft, but it wasn't the last time. _

_The second time __happened__ in the darkness of the cellar the next day, the hot pressure squeezing her brain until white light encompassed everything. _

* * *

Sitting down to a Thanksgiving spaghetti dinner with a witch and a sociopath was surreal, but it didn't even make the list of the top five weirdest things that had ever happened to Skye. Number five being, of course, finding out your boyfriend was a sociopath. Number four - discovering that said sociopathic boyfriend was also a witch, from a family of witches, who had a penchant for birthing twins and engaging in an archaic, magical tradition that required the sacrifice of the weaker one at age twenty-two. Number three had occurred more recently, and it was actually finding out a week ago why he was really been denied the Merge because he had the ability to siphon magic, which apparently made him an abomination in his family's eyes and therefore deemed unworthy. Number two involved having to listen as he ruthlessly murdered his own innocent siblings for having been denied the opportunity to participate in the aforementioned ritual. And, of course, the number one weirdest thing that ever happened to Skye was getting stuck in a 1994 time loop for eighteen years, repeating the same day over and over, in a world with no inhabitants - except for the sociopath that was the root cause of all the weirdest (read: most awful) things that had ever happened to her.

And now, as she sat at the table her and Bonnie had just finished setting with plates, forks, and wine glasses, watching him put the finishing touches on their meal, adding garnish with a delicacy he would only reserve for such an activity, did she feel her usually simmering loathing and resentment for him burn a little more intensely. Not to mention regret for their fateful meeting at the library that day in 1992.

It bothered Skye that she still couldn't figure out what Kai's aim was with this whole day. She knew with certainty that he had to have a particular motive in mind, one that was more sinister than cooking her and Bonnie dinner and giving them license to abandon him. He had to be harboring some aggression for their actions of late - Bonnie sending her magic away and Skye murdering him to facilitate an escape. Yet, here he was shooting them jovial glances as he filled their wine glasses.

When Kai was done imitating a world-class chef, and had finally settled in his intended spot at the table, they tucked into the aromatic meal quietly, that is until Kai predictably broke the silence.

"So is anyone gonna compliment me on my superb cooking skills?" he asked irritatingly.

Skye piped up instantly, "The pasta's overcooked." It actually wasn't. He had cooked it al dente.

"The garlic bread's good, though," Bonnie said, smiling at Skye from across the table.

"Aww, thanks, Bonnie," Skye responded, smiling back, before she glanced at Kai. His face was flat and downcast, but her eyes went down to his fork. His knuckles were white, he gripped the object so tightly. Skye felt some perverse satisfaction stir within her at the sight. It was nice to get under Kai's skin sometimes. They fell into silence again, the only sounds being the sound of their forks scraping their plates, and Kai's slurping of his noodles into his mouth.

A hour and a half later, and they were still eating. Well, Kai was. He had cut his last spaghetti noodle into minuscule pieces, carefully lifting each one into his mouth with an exaggerated air, letting out "Mmm" repeatedly and shamelessly. Bonnie had started shooting him annoyed looks and pointed ones at her, but Skye could only shrug helplessly back.

Finally, Bonnie took the initiative. "Really? You've been eating that same piece for forty-five minutes."

"Is it a crime to want to savor our last meal together?" he asked innocently while continuing to spear the other small pieces.

"We had Thanksgiving dinner with you," Bonnie levelled with him. "Now you keep up your end of the deal and give us your car keys." She held out her hand expectantly.

Kai finally put his fork down and looked at her. "I should probably teach you how the clutch works. It's finicky-"

"Kai," Skye interjected. "I know how to drive your car, remember?"

"Yeah, so _quit stalling_," Bonnie snapped, "And give me your keys."

"Fine, I'm stalling," he huffed, grabbed his wine glass, and finished it off. "But-" he started and Skye groaned. "Don't you wanna hear how my story ends?"

"She can obviously figure it-," Skye had started to grumble, but stopped abruptly when Kai's hand had found her knee under the table. Skye tensed, and he squeezed, gently. She shot him a suspicious look, but his attention was on Bonnie and vice-versa.

"I've read the newspaper," Bonnie informed him. "You murdered your siblings, and your coven sent you to live in this prison world." Then her eyes landed on Skye, with a small hint of doubt. "I'm not quite sure why Skye was sent here, though, if what she says is true, and she was just an innocent bystander."

"My _family_," he corrected before Skye could speak up, "sent us to this prison world." Kai actually looked sober for a moment. "My father," he continued, raising his eyebrows. "Great coven leader. Treated me like crap for twenty-two years and then locked me here." His voice carried that gravelly tone again. He paused momentarily then glanced at Skye, several emotions lurking underneath the surface, the clearest being regret. "Skye's only crime was loving me." She returned his stare steadily and tried to maintain neutrality at his words. _He's feigning_, she reminded herself. But his act told her something: he wanted on her good side. But for what purpose? He was also trying to sway Bonnie's opinion, but why? She was of no use to him anymore, so why was he trying?

Kai proceeded while Skye was pulled into her own reverie. "My father couldn't understand how that was possible. I guess, he figured she had to be bad, too...it was like his kids didn't even matter," he sighed, stroking his lips. "Coven always came first, no matter what." His gaze was now glued to the table, his expression grave, while Bonnie appeared suitably sympathetic, no doubt taken aback by his morose demeanor.

Skye was unfazed by his weighty declarations, having heard him complain plenty about his father both in and before the prison world. She had determined long ago that was where Kai had gotten his crazy from. And his regret over her unwitting complicity of his act didn't ring true to her because it wasn't even being said for her benefit, but for Bonnie's, to garner more sympathy. In fact, she would've felt completely unmoved by the monologue, in which Kai seemed to be simply making his case to Bonnie, had it not been for his thumb rhythmically stroking her knee.

Skye finally reached her hand down, and stilling his, pressed the ends of her fingers into the top of his hand hard, digging her long nails into his skin, raking them down quickly. He reacted immediately, snatching his hand back, but making no visible indication of his discomfort on his face. He was still putting on his "serious" show for Bonnie after all. She fervently [hoped] the scratch stung, perhaps even bleed, though she wondered if she should expect some retaliation in the not too distant future. The thought of his revenge, however, seemed less frightening to her now, because from here on out her life in the dismal prison world would be vastly different. She would have a decent friend in Bonnie, someone stable and sane who could stave off the utter loneliness (that could imprint itself, with a crushing force, into the marrow of your bones after just one week and make you desperate for any kind of contact. And in the second week, made you pray for death. That was why it was so easy to give into Kai when he eventually reappeared, whether he wanted to kiss or kill her). A friend who could help her fight against _him, _as Bonnie had proven several times she was capable of. A friend to be a good influence, as Kai had disingenuously pointed out in the cave.

"We get it," Skye said, standing. "Dads can be dicks. Bonnie, you ready to leave?" Bonnie stood too, but Kai held up his finger, halting them, tipping his chair backward, his signature smirk back full force.

"Not so fast, babe. Did you forget our long-standing arrangement? I cooked, which means you have to clean."

Skye scowled, "You mean our arrangement from eighteen years ago? Yeah, I don't think so."

She made to turn, following Bonnie who had already moved around the other side of the table during their exchange, but Kai grabbed her forearm. She resisted, pulling her arm back. Bonnie had stepped forward worriedly, but stopped when Kai released Skye's arm, chuckling good-naturedly, holding his hands up in surrender. "Now, that's not very fair of you both to leave me with the clean-up. I still wanted to chat with Bonnie, especially since I won't be seeing her for awhile. You, however, I know I will be seeing very soon."

She regarded him with exasperation and hostility, bristling at the implication of his statement. He only stared back, one eyebrow arched, one corner of his mouth faintly upturned. "Besides," he added. " The sooner you get it done, the sooner you can both leave."

"_Fine_," she said. She bent and started gathering their dirty plates and silverware. Like he said, it was probably better to humor him - quicker and easier than arguing anyway.

"Excellent," he said, standing. "Now, I'm gonna take Bonnie out, give her a tour of the grounds. I would hate for you guys to accuse me of being inhospitable."

Skye stiffened, pausing in her movements, her uneasiness returning again, but was grateful when Bonnie protested, "Not necessary. I can help Skye in here." She came forward to Skye's other side, grabbing the wine glasses.

"But I insist. Skye will be fine on her own," Kai told them, stuffing his hands in his pockets leaned in, almost conspiratorially. "It's magic-related. Nothing Skye would be interested in, but I figured you might."

Skye glanced at Bonnie, who was now eyeing Kai with suspicion, but also with a small hint of curiosity.

After a long moment of silence, Bonnie's curious side seemed to win out as she replied, "Fine." Kai smiled, headed towards the door. Bonnie turned, however stopping, when Skye reached out and grabbed Bonnie's arm.

"Bonnie," she warned. "Not a great idea."

Bonnie looked to her with determination and reassurance, lightly shaking off her grip. "I'll be fine. He gave his word. And going along with it will probably get us out of here faster."

Skye was appalled momentarily, wondering at her naivety. Besides, the witch didn't have her magic anymore - nothing to protect her. Skye thought maybe she had forgotten that fact.

"He's a sociopath, Bonnie," she reminded. "Words mean nothing to him. That's why he's constantly spouting them off."

"I can hear you," he said from his place in the doorway. He put a hand over his heart in a display of mock-hurt. "_Feelings_."

"Really, Skye," Bonnie insisted, "Just meet me outside when you're done."

Skye was reminded of that recklessness the witch had displayed earlier; she was starting to wonder if it was oftentimes wrongly perceived as bravery.

_Maybe, _you're _just too cowardly_, she thought. Bonnie walked to the door, where Kai held out his arm, signaling "ladies first."

"Wait," Skye called wildly.

Kai turned impatiently, in a "what now?" fashion while Bonnie paused. Skye came forward quickly, reaching out, she started patting Kai's chest. Her hands found their way to his sides and to his hips before bending to pat down his legs. Kai was watching her movements with a wry smile, his eyes glinting amusedly. "Babe, not in front of Bonnie," he joked. She reached into his pockets, one at a time, and took the items she had felt - the switchblade and keys. Kai's smile dimmed just a tiny bit, but enough to give her a thrill.

"Oh, I'll definitely meet you outside, Bonnie," she said, dangling the keys, causing them to audibly clink against each other.

Bonnie smirked at her for a second and then walked out of sight. Kai's face had now grown impassive and it was searing Skye, but she ignored him, tucking the confiscated items into her own pockets. She glanced up, meeting his eyes, daring him silently. He left after several moments, letting out a dark and almost bitter laugh.

Undisturbed, Skye turned her attention back to the dishes. She was used to Kai's ways, and she hoped that taking away the blade would mean deterring him from any harm he might have planned to both her and Bonnie. Kai was really nothing without weapons except an annoying pretty boy with daddy issues.

Washing quickly, she left the dishes in the rack to dry. He could put up his own dishes, and wash his own pots and pans. After all, he had used them _cooking_. She pulled the switchblade from her pocket and unsheathed it, headed to towards the kitchen archway. She was ready to use it if need be.

Reminding herself to ignore the bloodprints, she turned into the hallway. Only to be met with Kai's chest for the second time that day. She nearly jumped, but hurriedly composed herself, stepping back, the hand holding the knife twitching, before asking, "Is Bonnie waiting for me at the car?"

He smirked mysteriously, "You could say that." Backing up some more, and really observing, she noticed he was hiding something behind his back. Her heart stopped and she stared up cautiously at him.

Proudly, he pulled his hand from his back and presented her with a freshly bloodied hunting knife. "So I thought it was time we went from a Terrific Trio back to a Dynamic Duo," he deadpanned.

"What did you do to her?" The question came out so monotonously it frightened her more than the knife-wielding sociopath in front of her. She had been expecting something like this and she had allowed it to happen pretty easily.

"Something only _mildly _life-threatening," he reassured before he started his invasion of her space, as he was always apt to do. But this time, she was able to back away before he got too close to corner her and brought her own knife quickly.

He chortled, but stopped his advance and continued speaking like she wasn't holding him back at knifepoint. "Really, Skye, you would've admired my restraint, especially since I've wanted to do nothing more than rip her lungs out from the first moment you decided her life was more important than mine." The words dripped of nonchalance, but his expression was now dark, pinning her, eyes promising hell fire. He took a step forward, but she stayed where she was, swallowing harshly. "Frankly, I can't see why you like her so much. She's super judgemental. Quite boring. And I don't really like the person you are around her. You act like you're repulsed by the very idea of me."

She opened her mouth, but he threw up his hands, the knife flicking more blood on the walls, and put a stop to her words. "I know what you're gonna say: 'It's not an act, Mal.'" He performed an over-exaggerated, falsetto impression of her. "But, now... what was it you said earlier today- "

Then lightning quick, he had dropped his own knife, pushed her knife-bearing hand up against her chest, holding it there, the tip of the blade poised dangerously between them, and grabbed her waist with his free hand in an iron-clad grip, drawing her flush against him. He was trapping both of her arms this way. He drew his head back to look into her pale, upturned face, and carried on, "Oh, yeah, that I shouldn't pretend to care because I'm not good at it."

His mouth then went to her ear and his voice dropped to a whisper, "Well, babe, you shouldn't pretend that you _don't _care because you _really suck _at it. "

In reply, she quickly wrenched the hand holding the switchblade up, escaping his loosened grasp, and pressed the blade to his throat.

Frustratingly, he only leaned back a bit and snicked, even as the blade followed his movements. "We both know you don't like to hurt me. I mean, you've killed me, what-? A very small fraction compared to the number of times I've hurt and killed you. And I always wake back up with a moist, snot and tear stained shirt."

He was right, of course. But it didn't mean that she wouldn't. She would wait for a moment he wouldn't expect it so she knew her best chance was to distract him with words, he never could resist a good verbal sparring.

"A lot can change in a short amount of time," she said. "We both know that better than anyone, Kai."

"So? We also both know that nothing can change in a long amount of time," he retorted. He gesticulated with one arm widely to the bloodied hallway around them. "Exhibit A."

His eyes bore into hers, daring her cockily, his arms still caging her, all the while thinking he knew how she felt about him. So self-assured, so incorrigible.

That's why she didn't feel bad, maybe even a little pleasure, as she brought the switchblade down and sunk it into his shoulder, before he had time to flinch. Reflexively, his hold gave and she darted around him while he cursed and hissed in pain.

Skye made it through the front door, and had just barely glimpsed Bonnie as she laid out on the lawn near a tree stump, unconscious, a red stain blooming once again, before she was being dragged back into the house.

Skye hadn't even heard the incantation he muttered, and she wasn't able to keep ahold of the door's edge, pried away easily by the unfightable magic. Flung against the wall that supported the staircase with a wave of his hand, her limbs further immobilized, a coldly irate Kai instantly hovered over her, and she was shocked to her core. His left shoulder now sported a patch of blood, and Skye kept her eyes focussed there while she couldn't help but to ask him a little breathlessly, "Where the hell did you get magic?"

"Oh, it's the funniest story," he began, his tone dry and controlled, but held a dark undercurrent that told her the story was anything but. "When Bonnie decided to be all predictable and self-sacrificing, but also like incredibly stupid, she sent her teddy bear away, filled with her magic as you already know." His hands shot up, one came to rest on her neck loosely, but the other gripped her jaw, tightly, pressing his fingers roughly into the bone. _He was all about prodding her bones_. He laughed lowly, as if he had heard her thought. She flinched away from the touch, straining her neck, but he forced her jaw back around until she met his eyes. If they held hellfire before, that fire had engulfed everything in its path and was now ashy nothingness. A shiver traveled down her spine. "But it got me thinking about _that night_, you know. I was searching for those brats, and I went outside to find my sister out by that tree stump. I always wondered what the hell she was doing by it. Well she had taken that knife right there," he paused to point his index finger, simply lifting it from the flesh of her check for a moment, at the dirty hunting knife, on the floor at their feet, "and put her magic in it, and hid it. So sneaky. So dumb." He released a short guffaw. "But it was effective, I suppose, in hindsight. Anyway, I figured it still had to be there in this dimension, still filled with delectable magic."

"So you could've come here by yourself and got the knife! You didn't need to kidnap us, and you certainly didn't need to stab her." Skye was nearly screeching by the end of the statement. She wished she could move, so she could knee him in the groin. Elbow him in the eye, hurt him somehow to assuage her own grief and vexation.

"But I needed her blood," he said, as if she was thick-headed. He removed the hand from her jaw, then slipped into his pocket, drawing out a small glass vile filled with red liquid. Skye decided she wouldn't attempt speech anymore; she didn't want to miss his, no doubt insane, explanation. "Which I could've taken anytime, while in Mystic Falls, and I would've had everything I needed to get home. But I had a moment of weakness and wanted to be generous." He returned the vile back to its safe place, and his hand went right back to her jaw. "See, I was willing to give you both this one last opportunity to prove to me that you were worthy to tag along for the ride." His voice dropped, turning cruel and husky, his grip tightening for one insufferable second. "But I've got to admit, Skye, I didn't like my results. It was a test, you both failed. But it's okay." He lowered his face closer to hers, his breath falling onto her lips. The hand that clutched her face came up, and fingertips slowly and delicately danced across her cheekbone, an act of quasi-comfort. Skye refused to even make a sound now, as weary as she was - of fighting, of trying. Whatever he was gonna do, he would do to her, and there was nothing she could do in this position to stop him. Completely defeated and depleted of energy or will, she was ready to give up and bawl. She barely heard his next words as she concentrated on suppressing tears. "Bonnie will reap the consequences for the both of you because, while you're still disappointing me, life's dull without you, Skyler." Stealing another small kiss that day from her lips as she tried to cringe away, he whispered, "Say goodnight, babe. _Phasmatos Somnus__." _She crumpled, fast asleep. He caught her before she tipped down to the floor, and kicked the knife aside.

* * *

Skye would come around once they reached present day, Kai was certain of it. Just get her away from the Bennett witch and she'll be back to old self, the one that didn't fight him as much, the one that didn't pretend to hate him so much. She would soon see and understand that her compliance was going to be very valuable to him, as well as to herself. And that it would erase the chaotic burning sensation that sprung up in his chest the moment she had stood to leave with Bonnie- it had to. Otherwise, he didn't think he could keep it in check, and he might do something to her he'd regret, something that would stay permanent in the real world. _She just needs to cooperate_, he insisted to himself, _because cooperation is key to working as a team._ And _they, _Kai and Skye,were a team, they alway had been, even if he was the one spearheading most of their...projects.

He scooped her up into his arms, his fingers subconsciously curling into the hair draped on her shoulder, as he pressed her close to his body. He walked her down the porch stairs, pass the witch laid out in the yard, until he reached the car and deposited her in the front seat, in the same position she had been in during the last unconscious ride.

He hoped she would stop being so rebellious sooner than later, so he could stop knocking her out, and his strained back could recover from all the transporting of the dead weight of late.

Kai got into the driver's seat and turned the engine on, mentally tallying off the items on his list. Next came finding a good spot locally where the eclipse was focused. The magic now thrumming in his veins stirred with anticipation. After that came finding a place he and Skye could wait out the rest of the day and the night till the next day's eclipse, preferably a place with a phone. _I have one last page to make_, Kai thought, unable to pass up the opportunity to taunt the irksome witch, that he was more than happy to be able to finally leave behind, one last time.

_A/N: So sorry for the __excruciatingly__ long wait, but here it is! (And really long! The longest chapter yet. I hope that makes up for it.) I was trying to get through the rest of the semester and those __disastrous__ episodes. Speaking of, part of 6x17 and everything after, is getting pretty much ignored in this fic, except for maybe the wedding. Believe me, though, it will have a vastly different course and outcome, as long as you guys are open to it. _

_And I'm stuck back at my Internet-less house for the rest of the summer. However, I hope to write the rest of the chapters quickly, partly because I think they'll come out easier than this one, and partly because they're all intricately planned and somewhat written. I also hope to promise quicker updates, as a result, but we'll see. I can't access Internet easily or often as it stands now. Also, since Kai and Skye are now entering the real world, I thought the flashbacks could now be various scenes from their time in the prison world before the arrival of Bonnie and Damon. I already have several ideas (including w__hat happened in Europe, lol)__ for them, and they range from the good to the bad to the very bad, but I also wanted to ask you guys for suggestions. If there's anything you'd like to see, let me know._

_Thanks so much for the response to the last chapter! I can't believe I've broken 200 follows already__; I never expected that__. _

_Guests: Thanks __so much for your excitement and praise! So sorry to make you all wait so long, but I hope you enjoy this one. __To the one who asked __about their kiss, no that was definitely not the first time Kai has ever kissed Skye in the prison world. Some of the upcoming flashback will expand on it. To the guest who said this was their favorite Kai/OC story, thank you so much! That truly means a lot. To the guest who said this was the only fic that keeps Kai in perfect character, thank you so much! That is high praise since keeping him in character is probably my biggest challenge in writing the story. To the guest who's depressed Kai won't find love on the show and that this story was giving you life, thank you - I'm glad I can do that for you, lol. I can relate, I was just as upset when they pulled the plug on Bonkai, and killed him (probably another reason this chapter took so long.) I turn to fanfic too to cope. This chapter is dedicated to the guest who begged me to update just a few days ago, I hope you like it! _

_Livhardy: Thank you! Hope you like this one._

_Cassie: Thank you! I'm excited to show you what's next for them. _

_justfourmisfits: Thank you so much! I'm glad you enjoyed it. I'm happy Skye is growing on you, she is pretty awesome. _

_Lizzy B: Thank you! Yes, Kai genuinely liked Skye. I don't think he would've moved in with her if he didn't. In a twisted way, he still does like her. And after he merges, he will probably like her more, if you catch my drift. ; ) _

_Maz: Thank you! Sorry it took awhile. _

_Piamia: Lol, thank you so much! I agree with your assessment. _

_To the reviewers with accounts, I will reply to you privately, since this update is already so long. _


	9. Chapter 9

Set during 6x09, "I Alone"

_I want to be bad_

_I want to destroy you_

_I want to move fast_

_I want all the attention_

_I'm thinking we should ride_

_To a place that we don't know_

_To a place where no one's seen us before_

_I'm thinking, you and I_

_Better just go with the flow_

_Last thing that we should do is go slow_

_I think to be thoughtful_

_I know that I'm not_

_You think I'm a fake_

_And I know you're a fraud_

_I fuck 'cause I need to_

_I fuck when I want_

_I'll fuck you in love_

_Even though it is not_

_I'll fucking digest you_

_One kiss at a time_

_You wish I was yours_

_And I hope that you're mine._

"Lurk"-The Neighbourhood

Chapter 9 - To a Place Where No One's Seen Us Before

_May 10, 1994_

_The knocking - loud and insistent - and his yell__s__ of her name was what enticed Skye to open the door that day. If _his _intentions were nefarious, he wouldn't have bothered with such courtesies. He would sneak in, lurk around, try to catch her off guard__, like he had done a million times before. _

_"What do you want, Kai?" was the first sentence out of her mouth after she opened the door, barely a foot. Just wide enough to see him as he stood, grinning, with his hands behind his back - which caused her to become suspicious. _

_"Happy Birthday!" he said cheerfully, by way of greeting. She stared at him with narrowed eyes for a long moment, assessing. His eyes were filled with mischief, his grin too bright for her liking. _

_"Sure it is," she said dismissively, and made to close the door. But Kai stuck his foot in the way, preventing her. _

_"Truce, remember?" he reminded. She remembered. For holidays and birthdays, they called a truce. They weren't supposed to hurt each other, and they were supposed to properly celebrate whatever the occasion was. It was an arrangement that he first proposed. Why? She didn't know; she guessed he was overcome by his own loneliness sometimes, and possibly wanted to ensure a civil encounter between the two of them could be had every so often. So far, it was an agreement that Kai actually upheld, to her immense surprise._

_"I don't give a shit about the truce, Kai. Or my birthday, for that matter."_

_Skye grew to hate the arrangement. She hated how it was the only way Kai could find it in himself to behave amicably to her. She hated where it usually led between them because of said amicable behavior. She hated that it reminded her of the passage of time, outside of this hell. It reminded her that she was stuck, in every way...it was a different type of torture Kai was unwittingly inflicting. And she couldn't even be sure the act was all that unwitting on his part. _

_"But I got your favorites!" he sang, finally bringing his arms forward, from out behind his back. Plastic grocery bags dangled from his hands, seemingly stuffed to the brim. _

_"Plus," Kai continued, forcing his way through the door and past her. "It's only fair since you skipped mine this year."_

_"I don't _obsessively _keep track of the days," she told him, feeling only slightly guilty and hating herself for feeling that way. She followed him as he darted down the hall and into the kitchen. "That's your job."_

_She watched as he set the bags on the counter and started rummaging through the cabinets and drawers. He pulled out plates, glasses, and __utensils__, and set them beside his __merchandise__. She tensed when he grabbed a steak knife next, and he caught her anxious expression._

_"Relax," he chastised, rolling his eyes. "Truce, remember?" he repeated, shooting her a charming smile. _

_She didn't relax. Just because he hadn't ever broken it didn't mean he still couldn't at any time, especially if she forgot his birthday just three months before. _

_"So Iowa?" he began curiously, gesturing at the window, to the green fields surrounding the farm house they were settled in almost every direction. "Really?" _

_"What about it?" she asked, tiredly._

_"Nothing, I guess. Which is exactly the problem. I know nothing about this place, except that's it's the Home of the Hoosiers, whatever that means."_

_"That's Indiana." _

_"Same difference," he shrugged. He started unpacking the grocery bags. "I just don't get why you can't pick a cooler place. Like some place sunny. California's really nice this time of year." He let out a chuckle. It was always funny to him to joke about time, though it always failed to amuse Skye. He pushed on, disregarding her lack of reaction. "You could get a Star Map. Explore celebrities' houses. I've already checked out Bill Murray's house. Gotta admit, though, not as cool as I'd thought it'd be."_

_Skye had __a thing__ for the Midwest, because it had a strong, fast-moving storm system pass through it on May 10th, 1994. It was as dreary and depressing, but it matched her state of mind in this dimension. Oftentimes, it would get so chaotic and violent, she dreamed it had the potential to rip the prison world apart. No such luck. _

_Also, the Midwest was nice to settle if one wanted to avoid big cities. They were too empty and eerie for her. At least the country was supposed to be solitary. _

_Several items now littered the counter top, as Kai finished unpacking. Two large bottles of Jack Daniels, a box of Red Velvet cupcakes, a CD, two VHS tapes, a box of popcorn, and a small box wrapped neatly in blue and white striped paper, with a big, blue bow on top. _

_She reached for the CD and VHS tapes: the Beatles__'s _White Album_, _The Karate Kid and the Karate Kid 2_. He had really brought her favorites. She really did try to fight the rueful smile that broke out across her face, as she gazed down at the items. _

_Kai observed her, smirking in triumph. _

_"So phase one of celebration," he said, twisting the caps off the whiskey bottles, and handing one to her. The mischief was back full force in his eyes, she noticed. "Drinking early so everything else we do tonight actually seems fun. Anyway, here's to your birth and hopefully no inhibitions for the rest of the night," he toasted, clinking the neck of his bottle against her. He took a __healthy__ swig, and she followed, finally ready to relax for once. Both soon let out a string of coughs, and then laughs. He took the CD and tapes from her and walked to the living room, with his bottle still in one hand. _

_A few minutes later, after waiting impatiently for some type of acknowledgment and sipping from her own bottle, she heard the opening notes to The Beatles's "Happy Birthday." Shaking her head, she laughed, and left the kitchen to join him._

_Several hours later, and their bottles were half gone. The storm had blown in, the rain pelting the roof__, __the wind howling__, and the lightning illuminating the semi-darkness. __However, Skye, stretched out on the couch with her feet in Kai's lap and her back against an arm rest (a position he had first tried to presume on her at the beginning of the movie. He failed when she promptly shoved them off), and Kai, slouched down into the cushions of the worn couch, were oblivious, as entranced as they were by _The Karate Kid_. _

_"I wonder what Ralph Macchio looks like now," Skye wondered. "Do you think he's still cute?"_

_"Please, you think that wimp's attractive?" Kai scoffed, around a handful of popcorn he'd just shoved in his mouth. _

_"Well, he's certainly more attractive than that display was," she quipped, digging her foot against his thigh playfully. He grabbed her ankle in a tight grip , then dragged his fingertips down the bridge of her foot, causing a slight tingling to break out on the spot. _

_She pulled her feet away like he had burnt her, and sat up straight against the backrest, tucking her feet underneath her, as she tried to act nonchalantly. "How old you think he is now?"_

_Kai stayed quiet for a moment, his face mulish. Then, "Don't know, don't particularly care, oddly enough. I've only calculated our ages. Thirty-one, by the way, in case you wanted to know."_

_She groaned. "Kai, you know that I don't want to know." _Nine years, god.

_"Which is _precisely _why I told you." He looked over at her, and smirked, before taking a long drag from his bottle. _

_Skye responded by taking a longer drag from her own bottle, not really wanting to think about the new information._

_He rose, then, stumbling slightly, and came back a minute later with the box of cupcakes, the knife, and the gift that she still had yet to unwrap. _

_"Cupcake time," he said with excitement. He used the knife to break the plastic seal on the cupcake box. He sat back down, handing her one while he kept two for himself. _

_"Thanks," she muttered. He was too busy stuffing his mouth with cupcakes to reply. _

_She ate hers quickly too, washing it down with some more whiskey. The burn of it was now comforting. _

_Once he was done, he gave her the present next. She carefully unwrapped it, with some distrust, hoping for a normal gift, but not completely trusting Kai to deliver. It was a brand new Polaroid camera, still in the box. She stared, __bemused__. _

_"It's supposed to come with batteries and film," he informed absently, his eyes glued to the screen. _

_"Uh, thanks?" she said._

_"After all I went through to get that - three different stores, standing in line with bratty kids running around me and crying, dealing with passive- aggressive sales associates, - and all I get is an 'uh, thanks?'? Really, babe?" he asked sarcastically. _

_"You're delusional," Skye said, giving him a strange look. He shrugged impassively. "While I appreciate the thought, Kai, I don't believe I really have all that much to document."_

_"Not with that attitude," he chided. He picked up the knife, and slashed the tape on the box. _

_He prepared the camera while she refocused on the movie and trying to finish off her bottle._

_Soon, he was snapping pictures of the ceramic roosters on the end table and showing them off, calling it "art."She giggled at his antics, with the giddiness of somebody thoroughly buzzed. _

_Thirty minutes later, she was officially drunk, and uninhibited, like Kai had hoped for during the toast, and Daniel__-S__an was only just __beginning__ his training montage._

_Skye was staring at him, not at Ralph Macchio, but at Kai. At the chain under the collar of his T-shirt with the __dragon__ pendant she had given him the first time they had celebrated his birthday as a couple, when they had been dating. She stared next at his handsome profile. Ugh, he had such a perfect nose, a slight curve that ended in a unobtrusive point. High cheekbones, defined jaw, strong brows, full lips. Girl lashes._

_It was wrong for a predator to be so attractive, but such was the order of the animal hierarchy. It was wrong that she was still affected by it, even after all this time and all the heinous things he had done to her. If she was sober, she wouldn't even be entertaining these thoughts. _

_His eyes slid over to her, almost as he felt her examination. The look on his face stopped her breath. His gaze was heated, and his eyes hooded. _

_"Don't look at me like that," she blurted. He continued to look at her like that. Even started to bite his lip as he gave her once over, and moved as if to get closer._

_"Don't you dare get any closer either," she warned, holding a halting hand out in his direction, completely serious until she ruined the illusion by releasing a wide, comical yawn. He stopped, trying to stifle his chortle, noting the sleepiness quality of her voice. _

_But, minutes later, she was leaning towards him, tipping over in her intoxication, her over-heated skin pressed against his. He thought back to his reception that day at the front door - she had been wearing a tank top and her hair had been hastily pulled back into a bun that rested at the base of her neck. Obviously not expecting company. _

_He reached out to her exposed shoulder, his fingertips tracing the tiny, black script that cascaded down the length of the skin there until it disappeared behind the fabric, his __sharp__ eyes scanning each individual word. _

I wanted to be with you alone

and talk about the weather

But traditions I can trace against the child in your face

Won't escape my attention

You keep your distance with a system of touch

And gentle persuasion

_The rest was hidden, but he completed the passage in his head: _

I'm lost in admiration

Could I need you this much?

_He recalled the day she brought up the idea of the tattoo to him, had eagerly presented him with the pad of paper she had written the lyrics out on and talked of her plan to have them etched permanently on her skin. How he had been hesitant to agree that the idea was "awesome" and to match her level of excitement - thinking scars, cuts, bruises were much more organic and honest. They were a much acceptable and cooler way to mar one's own skin, in his opinion - they told stories just as well as ink could. But he didn't share those thoughts with her; she didn't know the extent of his__ corrupted nature__ back then. _

_He attempted to talk her out of the song choice at least, finding it sappy and cliche. But she was steadfast in her resolve to get the tattoo and on the song. _

_"How in the hell could you even like a Tears for Fears's song that much?" he had demanded, "Please, explain it to me, babe. I'm absolutely baffled." She'd claimed it was for the eloquence of the lyrics. However, he couldn't help but be paranoid that she connected the words to him. Whenever he would press the issue and express that particular concern, Skye would deny it, usually in one of three declarations intermittently: _

_"It's for me, not you, Kai." _

_"I just like it, Kai. It's poetic."_

_"Are you the sun, Kai? No? Good, because then you must know that the world doesn't revolve around you."_

_And then came the day she went to get the tattoo, and he had reluctantly accompanied her, eyeing the seedy establishment with ill-disguised disdain and the tattoo artist's hands on her partially-bared body with open hostility. _

_"I remember when you got this," he murmured to her now. "I thought for sure you were gonna cry, beg me to hold your hand. But you didn't. You didn't even bat an eye... I was weirdly proud of you that day." _

_Of course, _his _girl could endure a little pain. The only evidence of her discomfort was the sweat that had broken out on her brow. But the thought of her sheen that day brought up to the forefront of his mind other situations where she could break a sweat. _

_He glanced at her face, noticing her drooping eyes. _

_His touch and voice undoubtedly lulling to her alcohol-depressed brain. _

_He watched, with slight disappointment, as she succumbed to sleep, her features relaxing._

_Now he remembered: wine and whiskey made her sleepy, tequila and vodka made her frisky. Oh well. He supposed he needed some sleep, too. He could extend their celebration into tomorrow._

_Turning to the end table, he picked up the Polaroid camera. He snapped a few Polaroids of her, of her pretty, heart-shaped face turned towards him in her sleep, hoping the bright flash wouldn't disturb her slumber. It didn't and neither did the loud sound of the songs of the movie's credits playing in the background _

_He placed the camera back, set the new pictures next to it, and then switched the television off with the remote. He pulled her body forward by her shoulders to the edge of the couch cushion, not before stretching out his own body down the length of the couch. Somehow, he managed to maneuver them into a spooning position. He was the big spoon, of course. They could both rest more comfortably this way. Pressed snugly against her back, his nose buried into her citrus scented hair, he sighed. It wasn't exactly how he imagined the night ending, but it was close enough. He soon too succumbed to his own alcohol-aided exhaustion, though his bottle was still half full. _

_Skye awoke suddenly to see the weak, gray streaks of the dawn sky through the windows. _

_Her head was pounding, and her body was overheated, __courtesy__ of the other body wrapped around her. _

_After carefully prying Kai's arms from around her waist and disengaging her legs, she tumbled from the edge of the couch and onto the floor on all fours._

_"Ow," she grumbled when her knees met the hard wood. The motion also had her feeling nauseous. _

_When she could manage to stand, she caught sight of the Polaroids on the end table. She picked them up, and flipped through the new ones of her sleeping form. _

_"So a voyeur on top of a murderer - charming." Her tone was scathing, but she was smiling as she studied the picture._

_"Apparently, your perversion know no bounds, Mal," she told him, almost fondly, as she turned towards the voyeur, who was now sprawled on his back. _

_Although, she knew soon he'd wake up and immediately begin to cook her breakfast. Probably bacon and eggs. Then he'd try and worm his way into her routine over the next few days, making himself at home. Harass her to put down her book and spend time with him. Usually, it would be a month before she'd let him share her bed, though not for his lack of trying. Then he would drag her from the farmhouse, and drive at breakneck speeds through the whole state of Iowa. Now, with the Polaroid camera, he'd probably make her take useless pictures of landmarks and such, for her to only discard later with a grimace. _

_Then after roughly five more months, (right when she was beginning to hope maybe _this time _would be different) she would probably wake one morning to find a pillow over her face. Of all the way he'd killed her so far, and there were plenty for he had a great imagination, he still had yet to try smothering. _

_Then she'd revive, sometimes he'd be gone. Sometimes, he would only be starting. But she trumped down that train of thought in favor of watching him sleep, observing the rise and fall of his chest, his__ smooth__ face, indulging in her own voyeuristic actions. _

_He was vulnerable, human this way. The image combated the inhuman things he also was - a witch and a sociopath. In this state, he was completely at her mercy for a change. Unlike him, however, she would never take advantage of it. She simply just wanted to appreciate it, to file away for a day when his shadow loomed threateningly over her and made him seem larger than life. _

_She grabbed the camera and snapped her own Polaroid, wanting to preserve the moment, keep it close to her heart. _

* * *

_God_, were his muscle going to ache later.

At the moment, they were numb after having shook with exertion.

"You should really be thanking me," Kai told the unconscious girl he was once again carrying in his arms, as he carefully traversed the cave just a few miles from his house. The cave he spelunked as a kid, when he ran away into the forest. The cave's low-hanging mouth was nestled into a ravine - the darkness that was home to all the creepy crawlies and bats he had more in common with than his own family. A place now silent, except for the sound of dripping water.

"Don't worry. I'm working on a list right now of all the ways you can show me your gratitude once we're there."

He didn't want to slip on any moisture that had collected on the cave floor, to send them both toppling was just too inconvenient right now, especially now he felt like he was going to drop her at any minute. He desperately wanted to , but they were almost to the spot where he had spent all night digging a hole through the surface of the ground above, an act that began the initial taxing on his muscles.

Getting home, while the concept was really simple, despite the others over-complicating the situation, also required some hard work, but he didn't shy away from it because, now, the eclipse's brilliant light could now shine down brightly down on them and he could ironically shout, "Praise Jesus, hallelujah!"

When morning came, he'd returned to the cabin he left Skye to rest in, just miles away from the cave in the opposite direction of his house. She had still been asleep, and it seemed like, as he observed the interior just as he had left it, she hadn't come awake in his absence.

That marked the moment he started worrying slightly about the potency of the Knock Out Spell he had cast on her. He had gone so long without magic, his casting and memory might've been a little rusty. And he wasn't well-versed in Revival Spells or Waking Spells, having never regarded them as useful to him.

But her breathing and pulse was steady, so he took that as a good sign.

Now, Kai strengthen his hold on Skye, his muscles burning in protest.

He supposed he could've levitated her. But he didn't want to waste the rest of the precious, unfortunately very finite, magic buzzing in him, like it was alive and itching to be released. He'd already sacrificed some of it to heal his shoulder, to fix the puncture wound Skye had inflicted on him.

He really should've expected it, but he had been too wrapped up in his excitement for their imminent return.

He studied her features, with admiration. The long hair that hung limply, like a curtain that fluttered against his arms. The mole above her lips, the target for all his almost kisses, the kind he used to taunt her because they still made her breath hitch. Her closed eyelids that hid the brown eyes that grew impossibly darker when she glared at him.

_Yeah, it was probably for the best if she stays unconscious until we're in the present time_, he thought, not wanting to attempt another battle with her.

The narrow passage he had been trekking opened to a vast cavern. Light from the circle in the ceiling filtered down, creating a ring of light similar to the one in the Mystic Falls cave.

Kai laid Skye down gently in the middle of the circle, taking a seat beside her. He pulled the heavy backpack from his back and pulled the Ascendant from the front pocket. Next, he pulled the vile of Bonnie's blood from his pocket and poured it over the center of the device. He placed the backpack on his back once again, but not before rechecking its contents - CDs, most of his, though he left a few from Skye's collection, just the ones he could stand. The bundles of money were still intact, shoved next the CDs, and some other provisions.

He propped Skye into a sitting position and adjusted her until she rested between his legs, against his chest, keeping her upright with his arm around her. His other hand gingerly picked up and held the Ascendant from the bottom. He glanced up to find the Moon's and the Sun's paths ready to cross.

Two more minutes, and he would finally be liberated. Jeez, was he ready. Frankly, it was eighteen years overdue.

Kai wanted to shed this place from his life and memory like a snake would its skin, ready to begin anew, stronger and sleeker.

Full of vengeance, ready to strike at its prey.

The feeling of vindication and absurd, dizzy glee was almost overwhelming, almost something tangible he didn't believe he was able to contain.

"Almost there, babe," he whispered, the elation evident in his tone. He chanted when the bright light above him darkened, remembering the Latin words Bonnie had spoken, twice in the other cavern."_Sangina Mearma, Ascendarum Cavea."_

Kai almost couldn't believe it when the white light descended, and then he and Skye were swept up.

It was like jumping in a pool, except backwards. His eyes were closed, he heard a muffled swooshing, felt a weightlessness. It was definitely less painful then the spell that had imprisoned them there.

They landed on their backs with a hard impact, however. Enough to knock the wind of him, especially since Skye had ended up on top of him, and prevented him from opening his eyes right away. Not the mention the plastic CD cases digging uncomfortably into his back through the material of the backpack; he hoped he didn't break them.

When he did open his eyes, he saw yellow. When he brushed Skye's hair away from his face, he comprehended their surroundings.

They were in the forest clearing - he just knew - where his coven had tricked him, where Jo had betrayed and deceived him, where his father had banished him into the very prison world he had just escaped. The treetops were half-bare; brown, red, and yellow leaves still clung on stubbornly to some branches.

It was autumn, and they were home.

A loud laugh escaped him, full of disbelief and exhilaration.

Kai sat up. Skye was still unconscious, somehow, and she slumped down to the ground. Wow, if inter-dimensional travel wasn't enough to revive her, he honestly didn't know what would at this point.

He left her laying while he stood shakily to his feet. If he strained his eyes, he could hear the tell-tale sounds of traffic on the highway nearby. He never thought he could or would miss such a sound.

Best of all, he still had some magic left.

"Skye," he said. "Be back in a flash, literally. God, I love magic."

Smirking, he closed his eyes, and searched his mental vault again for the next spells, which he performed with proficiency.

When he opened his eyes this time, he was standing in front of his house. He noticed the small changes - the paint was weathered, the lawn free of toys. Hell, it even looked lonelier somehow. The thought caused a dark smile to take up residence on his face.

Kai walked to the trusty tree stump and riffled through the dead leaves, coming up empty. Great. Maybe, Jo had come and retrieved it. That would make definitely make his plan easier. Maybe his father had destroyed it. Possible, but his gut told him differently. Maybe a third party had gotten involved. Kai sneered, thinking of Damon. He definitely seemed like the nosy type.

Kai stalked to the front door, and stepped in. The inside was different, too. Of course, gone were the blood stains. Some decorations had changed. For instance, the framed photographs of him, which weren't many to begin with, were also gone.

His father was upstairs, he could hear him talking and walking above, as the floor creaked. He wondered briefly if they're was someone else in the house, but the conversation appeared one-sided. He must've been on the phone.

He wouldn't be able to see Kai anyway.

He entertained the thought of making his invisible presence known to the older man, in only the most dramatic and violent manner - viciously and repeatedly smashing his skull against the nearest wall.

But that would rob Kai of the extreme satisfaction he imagined would accompany the moment he would face Joshua as the newly minted leader of the Gemini.

Kai went to his Dad's office. Unsurprising to see it was exactly that same as it had been _that _day - the day his life was ruined, the day he decided to ruin every one else's.

He ransacked the desk drawers quietly, searching for the knife and other magical artifacts. It was probably prudent to find the Ascendant's duplicate, so he could keep it in his possession, and therefore couldn't be used against him. But to his disappointment, he didn't find either item.

Instead, he came across his siblings' coven rings - all silver, varying in size and style. They were specially designed, engraved with the Gemini coven insignia and motto. Well, they would've been their rings if they had made it to adulthood and coven initiation. He had never received his either, as he was supposed to wait for the Merge ceremony.

He stuffed four rings into his pocket.

He soon found newspaper clippings, in another drawer. The articles told of Jo's doctorly accomplishments, under a different last name. He rolled his eyes at the dramatics, but they also zoned in on the location. Whitmore Hospital. Now, where could that be located?

On the surface of the desk, mail sat neatly in the corner. He perused it next, stopping when he reached letters postmarked from Whitmore College in Whitmore, Virginia.

_Now, that's just too coincidental_, he thought.

The letters were addressed to 'The Parents of Lucas and Olivia Parker.'

Guess he had a new destination...and a new opportunity to eliminate the competition.

He left the office, but not before he pulled a worn Grimoire from the bookshelf and dropped it into the backpack.

Kai transported back to the clearing and collected Skye, headed towards the highway.

He just hoped the mall's and airport's locations hadn't changed since 1994.

* * *

Skye awoke to a stream of cold water on her face. Gasping, she sat up quickly.

"She's alive, what a relief. You know, I was worried I had botched the spell, and put you into some kind of fairytale-esque eternal sleep."

Kai's voice, of course.

He laughed shortly. "That would've been pretty stupid, right?"

She blinked a few more times, taking in her surroundings, paying him no attention. They were in a car, but not the one from before. The car was in a fairly packed parking lot, though there was an empty space beside her door. She looked to Kai, disoriented. "Where are we?"

He smirked, "Portland's airport."

"How? Why?"

Her eyes had travelled to his clothing - they were definitely not what he had been wearing when he had knocked her out at his house. In fact, they were clothes she had never seen on him before. Dark jeans that looked tight, a dark blazer-like garment, a white T-shirt with a dark bird graphic, a far cry from his usual baggy style. "What are you wear-?"

She stopped when she caught movement in her periphery. An actual car was pulling into the space beside their car, but an actual person was driving- a woman she didn't recognize. Then she looked up out of the windshield and saw a man with a briefcase walking in front of the car. In the background, an overcast sky and planes taking flight off runways, past the cluster of large and small buildings and tall towers.

"Oh, my god," she breathed, and glanced at Kai. He was smiling arrogantly, _he had actually gotten them home. _

"Welcome back to civilization, babe. Or should I say, welcome back to a judgmental society that somehow sucks even worse than it did in the twentieth century?" he said.

Skye panicked, her breathing getting shorter so she started taking in deeper gulps of oxygen, oxygen from 2012 - at least that's what she thought Bonnie and Damon had said that was the time they were from.

_Oh, my god, Bonnie_, she thought, her heart sinking. "You left Bonnie there?" she asked Kai, already knowing the answer, remembering his enigmatic speech from the hallway of his house. Her voice was quiet, soft, but it held a knowing and fearful tone that caused Kai to genuinely smile. He had been sitting there, observing her actions - the rapid rise and fall of her chest, with growing alarm, but her question and new tone seemed to bring back the amused gleam back into his eyes.

"I totally did," he confirmed smugly.

She wanted to scratch his eyes out, so she decided to take a page out of Kai's playbook, and act on her violent impulse.

Skye struck blindly over the console, fueled by rage and a sense of injustice that she had been fostering for eighteen years.

One fist made contact with his chest, judging from the "oof" he let out. The other hand's nails met the hard bone and soft flesh of his cheek, tearing viciously, marring his complexion with four raw red lines.

Before she could do more damage, however, Kai manged to grab both of her wrists, clasping them together in one of his hands, in a hold so strong and agonizing she was certain that dark bruises will decorate her skin the next day. His other hand reached for her hair, and grasping a fistful, he pulled roughly.

Skye cried out, as her head jerked back.

He brought her face close to his, his face snarling, his own rage at being battered, only partially concealed in his deadly calm tone.

"Do that again, and I will leave you in a pool of your own blood right outside that car door."

Angry tears built up in her eyes; getting her hair pulled was so demeaning, and he knew how she felt about it. So naturally that's why he did it.

"It's not fair!" she protested. "For her to still be there alone and you to be out!" She was proud that her voice never wavered during her exclamation, even as the wet moisture leaked out of the corners of her eyes and blurred her vision.

"You think being stuck for eternity, repeating the same day over and over again, on an empty planet is fair?" he demanded brusquely, titling his head and narrowing his eyes.

"You're right," she conceded softly before her voice turned hard, with contempt. "You deserve worse. I hope Damon and his friends find you and kill you. I hope Bonnie comes home and dances on your grave."

Her words caused their expected reaction: a somehow more malevolent look darkened his eyes, his jaw clenched so hard she feared it would crack. She figured she was going to know death in less than a minute, and a part of her didn't think she'd mind it that much. But then Kai clamped his eyes shut and drew in a deep, shuddering breath.

He opened them again, and refocused on her. Now his eyes were blazing, his mouth set in a deep frown. He released her hair, and let her fall back slightly.

"What will you be doing?" he asked her curiously, appraising her, serious. She stayed quiet. "I mean, if they're going to be celebrating, what will you be doing, Skyler?"

She refused to play into this game, gritting her teeth.

"Wait, I know!" he brust out, smiling. His manic performance was half-hearted though. "You'll be mourning me. Sick, isn't it? " His free hand had come up, now drawing one finger across her exposed collar bone.

She pulled her wrists out of his loosened grip, and shoved him back against his door. He snickered.

"I hate you," she spat, venom dripping off every word.

"I know," he replied somberly. Before his whole countenance brightened with a large grin. "But I like it. There's a lot of passion in hate...fine line and all that. And you're a passionate person. Plus, we've always had great hate sex...but we can discuss sex later. Right now, we need to focus on business."

She didn't care about business, but he pushed on relentlessly. "Now, I took the liberty of getting you some clothes from this century that aren't blood stained and ripe with B.O. You're welcome." He pulled a bag out from behind his seat while Skye concentrated on calming down, trying to stop thinking about the last image of Bonnie she had burned into her retinas: her sprawled across the grass, unconscious and bleeding.

Kai handed her the bag and she sat stiffly for a moment, before her curiosity triumphed and forced her to peek inside the bag. She pulled the fabric out and guessed it was a shirt - it was black and flimsy. She cringed, definitely not her style, not that was the only reason she was against it.

"Really?" she demanded.

He shrugged. "We have to blend, it's the style. Get changed, we have a flight to catch."

Skye went through the motions of changing clothes while he stood outside. She caught him peeking twice - he just flashed a dazzling smile back at her both times. The clothes of this decade were uncomfortable and form-fitting. A strip of her stomach was visible because of the hip-hugging hem of the jeans. Luckily, Kai had thoughtfully included a little leather jacket and a pair of multi-colored Converse in his purchase for her, but the gesture was lost on her.

When she stepped out of the car, he surveyed her. It may have been Skye's imagination, but she thought she saw his eyes flash with something when they fell on her chest and legs.

In the interest of distracting him from his unabashed perusal and herself from her own fury and anxiety, she asked, "How did even know what size to get?"

He sauntered forward, ready to leave the airport's parking lot, her blue backpack from the prison world looking almost out of place on his dark back. She drifted after him, expecting him to voice some unsettling and suggestive response like, "Oh, I know _everything _about you, Skye," that really wouldn't tell her anything. So she was surprised to hear the truth.

"One of the employees. She was about your size. Though something tells me she wouldn't have filled out that top as well as you do." So she hadn't imagined the flash.

"Where is she now? At the bottom of a lake?" The questions were biting, but it caused him to turn back, to meet her gaze, with a wicked grin.

"No, but _I'm pretty sure _her number is on the back of the receipt if you wanna give her a call and check."

Skye had abandoned the shopping bag in the car, and probably the receipt with it. That fact still didn't stop the urge she suddenly had to go rip the paper into tiny pieces and stuff them down his throat.

Kai kept a firm hold on her arm - from which she was able to observe that his narrow fingers now sported several rings she had never seen before - the whole process through the airport, which seemed like it took ten times longer than it did in '94. The security measures, she guessed.

Now, they were in the air. She was curled up in on herself, with her eyes closed and her fingers pressed to her temples. Kai had taken up chatting amicably with the other passengers in the aisle seat.

She had calmed visibility but the panic was alive and well on her insides, like a claw at her throat. The plane didn't help - it was too loud, too warm - she wasn't used to other people yet. Especially one that belonged in this time period. Most were self-occupied though. All had some electronic device on their lap or a cellphone in their hands (at least that's what Kai had called the similar object he had slipped into the shallow back pocket of her "skinny jeans" right after they went through the metal detectors; the devices had certainly decreased in size, as far as depth went).

"Man, is she okay?" she heard the man in the aisle seat ask Kai.

Kai put his arm around her and squeezed. "Oh, it's just my girlfriend's first time on a plane," he answered. Skye immediately smacked his leg, still not being able to shake her own impulse to hurt him. Now, if she did it in public, there was really nothing he could do in return, unless he wanted to cause a scene. He dug his fingers into her shoulders and whispered in her ear, "Maybe we shouldn't put your domestic abuse on display." She just jerked forward out of his hold and opened her eyes.

Looking to the middle-aged man, she smiled good-naturedly. "Thanks for your concern, sir, but I'm fine."

The man only glanced between the two of them for a few moments with narrowed and confused eyes, before he gave her a polite smile and pulled some device out of his front pocket along with a long white string with two little balls at the end. He stuck the balls in his ears and leaned back against the headrest of his seat, closing his eyes.

Skye stared at the man.

"Their version of a walkman and headphones," Kai informed, unprompted. "He's listening to - " Kai leaned closer to the man, putting his ears close to the man's earphones. "Ugh, classical." The man startled, but Kai pulled back with hands up in surrender. The guy was disgruntled but he settled back after a moment and gave Kai accusatory eyes.

Skye let out a sharp laugh - it was nice to know Kai was just as obnoxious to other people as he was to her, but she instantly regretted her amusement when Kai turned his attention back on her. He wasn't smiling, but appeared as if he was assessing her with a cool and critical eye.

It caused her a pit in her stomach, and she looked away.

"You know, " he began casually when she broke their eye contact, "I did the math. We would be 40 years old… you know if we hadn't gotten stuck in a alternate magical prison dimension." She stayed silent, waiting for his point to present itself. Looking around to see if they were being overheard, but nobody was paying attention. But she really wasn't prepared for where he was taking his babbling, if her reaction to his next question was any proof.

"Do you think we would've been married?"

If Skye had been drinking water, she would've spit it out on the back of the seat in front of her. She immediately looked towards him, but his neutral gaze was locked on the chair in front and he was twirling his own phone between his hands, slouching. "God, the thought of it is depressing. Being tied to each like that for the rest of our miserable life."

A part of her couldn't help but wonder how it was any different from how they were now, but she shook her head vigorously, to dislodge the thought.

She took a breath and replied, "No, you'd be in prison for killing half of your family."

"Okay, I did the math on that, too. There were ten members in my family, including myself. I only killed four. Four out of ten is two-fifths. So I only killed two-fifths of my family."

"_You're. repugnant_." she shot at him, unable to fathom how he could speak so casually about the atrocities he committed, like he hadn't irreparably disrupted and destroyed the lives of the people he was supposed to love, some of the lives of the people who loved him.

"I mean, if that hadn't happened, would we?" he prodded.

"Deplorable," she answered as if she hadn't heard him, though she was stunned to hear him sound so deeply curious and contemplative.

"I mean, seriously," his voice rose a pitch, and he sat up a little straighter. "Can you imagine?"

"Abhorrent." The very idea of it was abhorrent to her now, too. The idea she had contemplated with an almost embarrassing giddiness before May 9, 1994, thinking she had found a good match in Kai Parker. Funny, quirky, witty, slightly deviant Kai. Unconventional. Exciting. How utterly wrong her perception had been.

He pushed on, "I'm sure I would've snapped at some point though. Probably over something big, like undoubtedly losing my job when too many patients flat-lined on my operating table or you inevitably cheating on me with some pretentious, poetry writing co-worker."

"Despicable," she forced out through clenched jaw.

"Agnt!" He imitated a game show buzzer. "You already used one that started with a 'D.'"

Of course he would make it into a game.

So she stopped participating, a choice Kai frowned on, as he was having fun. "Aww, come on, babe. I forgot how extensive your vocabulary was. You know, since I'm so used to hearing 'asshole' and 'dick' all the time."

"You wouldn't hear those words so often if you stopped epitomizing them," she muttered. _And worse. _

He ignored her, tapping away once again on his cell phone.

"I see you've adjusted well," she muttered, despite herself.

"Wasn't hard," he dismissed arrogantly. Her eyes were drawn to his hands - the silver rings glinting off the sunlight coming in through the plane's windows. Four of them, two on each hand - all different styles. Each type of finger had a ring on it, except his ring fingers, ironically.

"Where did those even come from?" she asked, her curiosity overcoming her better judgment.

"Doesn't matter," he replied curtly.

"Did you buy them?"

His jaw tight, he shot her a warning glance. Plainly telling her to shut up.

She persisted with relish now. "You found them? Did you steal them?"

"Can you go back to slinging synonyms at me?" he snapped.

"You stole them," she decided with certainty. Kai exhaled loudly.

"They were supposed to be my siblings' and mine," he admitted, with frustration and some hesitation, after her pointed, determined stare.

That shut her up. Four rings, four dead siblings. What did they mean? Did they serve as reminders? _Trophies?_, she thought, a sick churning in her stomach. Why did she care about the rings? They were just objects .. that he kept close to him now.

Skye tore her gaze from his ringed hand, and returned her gaze to the back of the chairs in front of her. However, she was still curious, but about other issues.

"So what are your evil plans?" She had glimpsed their plane tickets. They were supposed to land in Richmond, Virginia. Was their next destination Mystic Falls? Was he going to terrorize Damon? That didn't mesh with the agenda she was imagining, knowing Kai.

"Nu uh," he resisted. "I've seen plenty of movies, babe. You see, the moment a villain reveals his plans - _Boom! _" He paused, to mime an explosion with his hands. "They're thwarted in the next second."

"Well, it's not that difficult to figure out," she said. "I'm assuming revenge, but you need to be powerful for that, so the Merge first. Which means finding your sister, wherever she may be now."

When she risked a glance at him, he was already watching her, seeming equal parts impressed and annoyed.

She was right, then. But that still didn't explain why they were headed to Mystic Falls.

Unless Jo was there...no, that would be too coincidental. But Damon was there. A small spark of hope flared up within her - maybe if they ran into him, he would help her.

"So you think Mystic Falls has changed much?" she asked inanely, feeling just a tad bit lighter at the prospect of a rescue from Kai's clutches.

He smirked, "We're not going to Mystic Falls." It dropped off his face in the next second, and his eyes flashed with annoyance again. "Now, shut up. Take a nap. Stop asking questions."

Her brow furrowed, but she made no further comment. Even if she didn't believe him when he said they weren't headed for Mystic Falls.

* * *

It also wasn't the destination he told the taxi driver, when they departed from Richmond's airport.

"What's Whitmore College?" she asked, after he leaned back into his seat.

"Where we're going," he said simply, glowering at her, not elaborating. He was probably regretting taking her with him from the prison world. It didn't bother her, though. In fact, it left her a bit pleased.

Kai kept fidgeting throughout the ride, tension radiating off him, while she, only partially aware of his movements, stewed in her intense confusion. She had been so certain they were going to Mystic Falls.

Thirty minutes, Kai seemed to calm and regain his good humor, though, when he began chatting with the taxi driver - an older man, that, in her opinion, held an odd resemblance to Mr. Parker.

"You ever worn skinny jeans?" he asked.

The man didn't answer, only briefly acknowledge his question with a glance in the rearview mirror, but that didn't deter Kai. "Ah, it seems wrong. I'm all bunched up." he complained, wriggling again. "Also, why are jeans so tight when phones are so big?" He took his phone from his pocket. Skye didn't think this decade's phone were all that big compared to the cellphones of the nineties, but she figured mentioning so would seem weird.

"I don't know what to tell you, pal," the drive said mechanically.

"Oh, god," Kai groaned. "I'm that guy, right? That guy that _won't shut up_? Ugh, I hate that guy. I sat next to that guy on the plane. He was the worst."

"Really? 'Cause _you _were that guy for me, Mal,"Skye interjected, with a ironic, saccharine smile. Kai only shot her a caustic look back, before he jumped forward, closer to the driver, resting his arms casually on the back of the front seat.

"Hey, speaking of planes, have you've flown recently? What's with the whole liquid situation and the stripping before you go through security thing?" Kai quizzed. "It's weird."

"They're worried about terrorists." This guy could not be less interested in Kai.

"Okay." Kai seemed mollified with his answer and leant back. "I'm sorry, but the real terrorists were some of those people taking off their shoes."

The driver, again, stayed stoic. Skye found herself really taking a liking to the man.

"I know I'm chatty," Kai said. "Sorry."

That word shocked her a bit, leaving his mouth. So did his next words.

"I've just been in prison for awhile. We both have actually, but not like a regular prison, more like a special kind-" Thankfully, he was cut off as the taxi car came to a stop.

"Alright, we're here. That'll be thirty," the driver told them.

"Alright," Kai said, digging into his jeans, struggling with the pockets. "Jeans," he muttered by way of explanation for the hold up. Finally, he pried a twenty from his pocket.

"Here, take this," he said, handing the bill to the driver's already stretched out hand.

"Hang on," Kai told him, digging for more.

Skye reached down to the backpack at her feet, ready to take a few bills from the bundles and give the man a generous tip for having to deal with an obnoxious Kai, but Kai's restraining hand on her arm stopped her motion.

"Hang on, I got it," he reassured, his other hand still digging. He tilted his hips, and pulled another item out. "Oh, hey, gum. Nice," he cheered. He offered the stick to her first, to which she responded with an "are you kidding me" look. He shrugged back in response, then unwrapped it and stuffed it in his mouth. He threw the wrapper out the open window, an action that only irritated Skye more.

"Come on, buddy. I don't have all day. Let's go," the driver grumbled.

"I got it, hold on. Huh."

All he had were those earphones, similar to the middle aged man's on the planes. Skye instantly became anxious.

"Kai…"she said cautiously.

"Well, I guess this'll do." He lunged forward, stringing the wire around the man's neck, and pulled it tight. The man struggled, desperately, seeking in vain to pull the wire from his throat. The violence itself didn't affect Skye so much as the utterly calm look on Kai's face. It was terrifying.

"Kai," she exclaimed. She reached forward, trying to break his grip on the earphones.

"Skyler," he growled, elbowing her back. He gave her another warning glance, however this one was more malignant. She relented, slumping back, knowing any more interference was futile anyway. She watched helplessly as the man continued to struggle, and Kai glanced out the window for witnesses.

She raised her hand to her mouth when the man in the front seat went limp. Oh, she wanted to scream. She curled up in on herself, but still couldn't look away. Kai adjusted the earphones, pushing one bud in each of the dead man's ear so it appeared as if he was asleep, listening to music.

Finally, Kai pulled back, and then slid across the bench seat, closer to her. She flinched away. He nudged her, until she reacted, her brain finally catching up, and opened the car door. She grabbed the backpack from her feet, and stepped out, with him not far behind. Once he shut the door, she slumped against it. She took in her surroundings absently. Trees, frolicking students, a sign welcoming them to campus.

He leaned down to the passenger side window. "Thank you," he said, rapping twice against the roof. Then he grabbed her wrist, pulling her forward, oblivious to her stupor. She could only bring herself to reflect on two things:

Kai had now upgraded to serial killer status. Of course, _he _would enter this world the way he had left it.

And with every life he took, with every death she bore witness to, she wondered if he knew that he was just draining the life from her too.

_A/N: Here it is! I feel like I got a bit carried away with this chapter. I know it doesn't move forward much plot-wise, but it's important to me that I fill in the gaps and explore my characters, give them time to adjust to their new surroundings and to work through their issues._

_I also had to split again, I believe that's becoming a theme because it's easier for me, but it does mean more flashbacks! And I know a lot of you are fans of those! Still taking suggestions, by the way. Some already suggested the first time Kai killed Skye, so know it will pop up sometime._

_Anyway, I hope you enjoy._

_In the interest of time, I can't really type out replies. I'm so sorry! But thanks so much for the stellar response to the last chapter! You guys are so awesome and thoughtful! A lot of you are saying this is the best Kai / OC fanfic around, and I'm genuinely honored and humbled by this declaration. I can't thank you guys enough. I pushed myself today to get this chapter out tonight so you guys wouldn't have to wait any longer (that might show, sorry!)._


	10. Chapter 10

Set during 6x09, "I Alone"

Carve your name into my arm

Instead of stressed, I lie here charmed

'Cause there's nothing else to do

Every me and every you

Sucker love, a box I choose

No other box I choose to use

Another love I would abuse

No circumstances could excuse

In the shape of things to come

Too much poison come undone

Sucker love is known to swing

Prone to cling and waste these things

Pucker up, for heaven's sake

There's never been so much at stake

Like the naked leads the blind

I know I'm selfish, I'm unkind

Sucker love I always find

Someone to bruise and leave behind

All alone in space and time

There's nothing here but what here's mine

Something borrowed, something blue

Every me and every you

"Every Me Every You" - Placebo

**A/N: So I know that I said that the flashbacks would be from their time in the prison from now on. That being said, however, the flashback below is a pre-prison world one. I got a request from one lovely reviewer for it, and I realized that I haven't really explored the early stages of their relationship so I hope you guys like it. Also, Kai's original (true for the present too) intentions for Skye weren't that pure or...sane so be ****forewarned****. **

Chapter 10 - Never Been So Much at Stake

_December 1992 _

_Did standing outside of a classroom, waiting for the girl you had only been on four dates with qualify as creepy or romantic? _

_Kai wasn't sure. And which way did it lean if he also brought coffee for her? _

_He wasn't sure of that either, as this whole arrangement, ritual, whatever was still new to him. _

_It was only an experiment, really. Overall, she was an experiment to him. He began it as a way to determine if he was ready for an escalation, of sorts, in his victim choice and M.O. because the usually willing forfeit (from Jo when she was in pitying moods; Nicoletta and Joey barely understood his angst, just wanting their big brother to cheer up and make them laugh again), sometimes __occasional__ thief, (from Eva and __Isaac__ when they really pissed him off or simply annoyed him, and the twins when Kai was feeling really spiteful) of his siblings' magic and slaughtering cute critters from the forest, out of __frustration__ when he couldn't access their magic, could only sate him for so long. _

_He wasn't supposed to approach Skye in the first place; it really wasn't necessary for what he __initially__ had planned, after entertaining several increasingly horrific and __gratifying__ scenarios. He'd settled on a straightforward approach - coming up to her one night as she walked home alone from work, and sticking his hunting knife straight into her gut. Watch the shock and dismay, the gripping panic in her eyes as blood gurgled out of her mouth, and more dripped out of her wound, staining the cement of the sidewalk, until she reached the precipice and held on futilely. At least, he thought she would; she seemed like a fighter and that's what he wanted in a victim. Then, when she inevitably slipped, he could finally observe the light leaving the eyes of something more intelligent than a rabbit, cat, or a squirrel. _

_A rueful smile crossed his face as he contemplated it. _

_Kai had only acted on impulse that particular night two months ago, bored, and unable to resist the urge to play with his prey. Besides, __statistically__ most people are attacked by someone they know! It would be funny to play into that statistic, he __decided__. _

_But the concept of escalation had taken on a new focus, forged a new path that started the moment Skye offered him her hand. It stemmed from his utter astonishment and fascination after he felt the _it_ \- when their hands met, when she looked straight i__nto his eyes for the very first time__ \- a _zing _that had nothing to do with magic, but had _still felt so... good._ It was enough to convince him to desist his original plan for her and ask her on their first date instead__, and then __t__he rest of the dates __to figure out what the hell it meant. _

_In that time, he also grew to appreciate other aspects of her. She was smart - not just book smart, but shrewd. Perceptive. He could tell when her eyes shuttered a bit, when forgetting himself, he made some too off-the-wall remark. He would always be quick to cover his slip up - distract her, follow it up smoothly with something false and __agreeable__ to erase any barely visible, lingering doubt. _

_Kai __valued__ other elements - like the fact that, not only did she laugh at his jokes and antics, she was the first person to ever make him _legitimately _laugh, with her witty a__nd sarcastic__ humor. Not to mention they shared an __affinity__ for black humor as he first discovered on their third date when they saw _Heathers _at an indy cinema nearby campus. _

_Lastly, he sensed a dark side within her, one he had glimpsed sparingly so far - when she worked herself into a rant about some __loquacious__ idiot in class, an obnoxious teacher, or some annoying, gossiping co-worker. From the sound of it, she entertained very violent fantasies, thought he suspect she would be horrified about turning them into realities. Other times, he could see it in her eyes, or face, when he caught her staring at him. It was something he was desperate to coax out further._

_Maybe, someday, he could convince her it was her best side. _

_Since then, for all those reasons, Skye had upgraded to shiny new toy, and he, the child obsessed. _

_Soon, the door of the classroom opened, and various people trickled out, some stopping to chat in the hallway with each other or other students waiting, others headed quickly for the exits. _

_Kai saw her before she saw him because she was locked into a conversation with another girl as they crossed under the threshold. The brunette glanced up and smiled knowingly, recognizing him, before putting her hand on Skye's arm, alerting her to his presence, interrupting her. The girl indicated to his presence behind Skye with a tilt of her head._

_Skye turned, her confused expression transforming into surprise. _

_"Hi," he said, donning what he'd dubbed his charming smile, the one that he knew showed off his dimples. One that worked wonders for him, concerning women. And while Skye was an exception in many ways, she wasn't immune to it. He wasn't sure whether that pleased or disappointed him. It certainly made it easier, though._

_"Hey," she said back, a little unsurely, but she came close to him, distancing herself from her friend. __Something he liked to see. _

_"Got you this," he told her, holding out one of the Styrofoam cups. He had drank out of both of them, __wanting to pervade himself in every way. __"Just a little warning. I got carried away with the sugar dispenser. It might be more sugar than actual coffee__."_

_"Thank God," she said, grabbing it, him ensuring their fingers brushed, and immediately took a __sip__. It was her favorite drink, she had told him so on their second date, which had been a coffee date. Her face __melted__ into pure satisfaction. __It caused a pleasurable, almost foreign thrill to go through him. __"How did you know?"_

_"Know what?" he asked absently, his focus trained on her lips, which were glossy and pink._

_"I was running late this morning so I didn't get a chance to make some coffee before I left," she explained. "But thanks for saving me. Jesus, I needed it after that class."_

_"Glad to be of service," he drawled, smirking, bowing dramatically, paying proper attention now. She smiled, and he remembered his reason for being outside of her classroom. "Actually, I was wondering if you wanted to hang out for a little while, until your next class."_

_Her smile morphed into a frown, however, as she glanced over her shoulder. "I really do," she said with longing, turning back, looking into his eyes, but then her tone changed to regret. "Except I already promised my friends I'd help them study until then." She grabbed his free hand, then __gave it a__ squeeze it in contrition. He almost started at the contact, he wasn't used to people touching him so casually. Usually, he was the toucher and for means of intimation. _

_For his experiment's sake, he kept the contact, even as she tried to pull away a moment later. She didn't fight him, but he must have looked confused because then she swept her free hand behind her. "They really need the help. The teacher is unnecessarily difficult." When he pulled his eyes off her, and instead focused behind her, he could see her brunette friend lingering in the hallway, leant up against the wall. Next to her, though, now stood a guy - dishwater blond, skinny, glasses. Barely a blip on Skye's radar, probably. Both were watching their interaction with barely concealed impatience. _

No_, he immediately thought, with surprising __vehemence__._

_"I'm sorry, Kai," Skye said, her thumb now stroking the back of his hand in __consolation__. _

Fuck your friends_, he wanted to say. He just needed to be in her __space__, even if it was just for an hour. She obviously wanted the same, so why was she making it so difficult?_

_"What about after class?" he questioned, straining to maintain his good-natured tone, tightening his grip. _

_She sighed softly, and he could tell he was going to be disappointed again. "I have to go to work until 9, then I have to write an essay as soon as I get home. It's due tomorrow, unfortunately."_

_"How about you skip class?" he suggested playfully._

_She was hesitant, considering it. She almost looked pained at the thought. _

_It was his turn to frown now. He _would _have to pick a goody two-shoes, who actually cared about her obligations._

_"Skye," the guy behind her prompted, disrupting them. "Can you and your boyfriend do this later?"_

_Skye flushed a little, dropping her eyes. Her eyelashe__s__ fluttered against her cheeks, he noticed, as she blinked repeatedly in disbelief - flustered at the guy's comment because they hadn't defined their relationship yet, he guessed. She turned her head towards the boy, her voice betraying her irritation with his interruption. "Just a minute, __Paul__." _

_Kai took that moment, when she was fully faced away from him, to glare hatefully at the idiot that maybe didn't have a death wish, but was working on having one generously granted to him. At least, her girl friend had the grace to be quiet while she waited. The boy instantly shrank away, while the girl just looked amused. _

_It was safe to say he didn't like either one of them, especially when they cut into _his _time._

_He was careful to school his expression back into mild discouragemen__t__, however, when Skye returned her gaze to him._

_"I've got to go," she said, pulling her hand from his. He let it go this time, dumbfounded at her __priorities__. Picking _them, class, and work _over _him_, really? "Thanks again for the coffee."_

_They stared at each other for a moment - this was the awkward moment when neither knew how to say goodbye to the other, since they hadn't even had their first kiss. His own fault - he didn't want to rush into anything too rashly, too early into the experiment - but it was something he planned to change very soon. Then maybe, she'd have incentive to destroy those straight - edged and, in his opinion, warped __priorities__. _

_Skye decided to bite the bullet and came up quickly to peck his cheek. "Call me tomorrow, yeah?"_

Nope_, Kai thought, anger burning his chest._

_"Sure," he grinned. She gave a small smile back that he hated on sight because it made her seem so timid, when she wasn't. _

_She walked off, her friends falling into step with her as they walked towards the stairs. He sneered at their backs, and wished he had some magic in his system at that particular point in time, so he could give Kyle an __aneurysm__. _

_Five hours later, he found himself skipping his own Advanced Biology class to head to the library. They were dissecting pig fetuses. But he'd already been there and done that, and on his own time, to boot. _

_Skye worked on the fifth floor of the antiquated building, so that was the button he pushed in the rickety elevator. The doors dinged and opened to the reception area - his eyes __immediately__ went to the cluster of desks, where various other library employees occupied, singling out the one on the left where Skye usually sat, the spot he'd flirted with her for weeks; it was empty. _

_He strolled the desks and some bookcases toward the wide, center aisle of the floor, which had rows of bookcases __situated__ on each side. Shooting a glance left, he zeroed on her mane of blonde hair, swaying against her back, as she walked down the aisle far ahead with another student, a male. This time, judging from his back, a stockier guy than Kyle. _

_Damn it, were people intentionally trying his control for fun today? _

_She had a white slip in her hand, so she was probably helping the guy find a book. He stalked silently after them. _

_They eventually turned left down a smaller aisle that ran __perpendicular__ to the middle aisle, at the very back. He picked the __adjacent__ aisle to turn into, walking all the way to the end. He listened to Skye as she conversed with the student._

_"It should be here," she said. He heard and saw some books shuffling on his side. _

_"I hope so," the guy replied. "It's kind of important for this big project coming up." _

_"Really? For what class?" Skye asked curiously. _

_Kai groaned internally. Why did she have to be friendly? This is why she got so easily bothered by people, because she cared about them in the first place. _

_"Psychology," was the gruff answer._

_"Ah, one of my favorite subjects," she said. "Not yours?"_

_"The professor's not too bad, it's just the material that gives me trouble..." _

_Kai stopped __listening__, balling up his fist, as they chated about Freud. _

Please quit talking_, he begged. Seriously, how long did it take to find a book? _

_Finally, he heard her apology. "Sorry, it must not be here. Somebody probably has it checked out. You want me to write your name down to reserve it?"_

_"Sure," the guy said. _

_Kai resisted the urge to bang his head on the shelf behind him. This probably meant she was going to follow this asshole back to the front. But then he heard his voice again, saying, "Cody Marcum," before spelling out his last name slowly. Kai heard a scribbling, the sound of pencil on paper, and his spirits returned. _

_"Okay, Cody, I will do that as soon I get back to the desk." Yes, that meant she was staying behind, in the ill-lit corner. Right where Kai wanted her. _

_"Alright, thank you." Next, came the sound of Cody's footsteps. He was walking away, in the direction they'd come, taking the hint of her dismissal. _

_"Have a nice day," Skye called. _

_"You too," Cody __replied__, a smile obvious in his voice. Kai rolled his eyes. He would remember his name, __though__. _

_Kai was impatient to see Skye, who was once again shuffling the books on the shelf, but he waited till Cody turned the corner, coming into his view. Now, he had a clear mental picture of the guy's ruddy face. Just in case. _

_As he walked out of view, Kai turned the corner on the other end of the aisle, coming up right behind Skye as she __straightened__ the shelves, but she was half-turned away and unable to spot his presence, even in her __periphery__. _

_He stood, silently. She was so easy to sneak up on, as wrapped as she seemed to get in her tasks._

_Finally, she had to have sensed his energy, because she turned jerkily to look straight at the books, then jumped, bringing a hand to her mouth. _

_"Oh my god, Kai," she gasped__; __she brought her hand down. Then she started to laugh. "What the hell are you doing here? Trying to murder me with a __premature__ heart attack?" She ended her laughing with a smile. _

_He said nothing because he was __entranced__, feral want tore through him. _

_This smile was so much different to the closed-mouth, shy, uneasy one she had first flashed him the first time he'd snuck up on her. This smile was a grin, revealing the top row of teeth - it sent her eyes shining, and showed how __genuinely__ happy she was to see him unexpectedly again that day._

_He stayed still, keeping taciturn. Her smile faltered, confused at his bizarrely intense expression and lack of babble._

_In the next second, his body pinned hers to the shelf, which rocked __precariously__ for a moment from the impact. Kai barely registered it as he grabbed her face with both hands and crashed his mouth against hers. It wasn't soft by any means, like most first kisses probably should be__, b__ut being soft wasn't in his nature, and he'd waited too long. At first, it was frantic, a little awkward, and he was slightly distracted, battling himself, fighting the strong impulse to be more __aggressive__, forcefully open her mouth and plunder- probably a little too soon for that, he reckoned. Skye didn't seem to mind at all, however, judging by the way she was eagerly responding back._

_Kai had kissed plenty of girls before, but they had been girls from other covens. Witches with strong magic that beckoned his voracious appetite. Kissing them had been his way of distracting them, a method to extract what he really wanted. Most didn't take too kindly to it, as one could imagine. That didn't matter much to him, anyway, because by the time their pain overcame their __pleasure__, he had already completed his endeavor and received his reward. The few others were sympathetic to his plight, the really rebellious ones who had some vendetta against their parents, and they let him go much further, gain a good bit of experience. But they left when they realized he wasn't interested in doing the emotional crap. _

_But, _God_, this was so different, he was discovering as the kiss progressed. Because he didn't sense magic under her skin, couldn't possibly siphon from her, because she wasn't a witch. But kissing her still felt __reminiscent__ of in-taking magic - a sensation that spread through his whole body, ignited every nerve with a pleasant heat, filled him up, made him feel powerful. This particular sensation was only a bit different in that it seemed...amplified. Like, times a hundred, if it were possible, and he was enjoying it immensely, lost in it, really, while also __simultaneously__ in complete disbelief that magic had __absolutely __nothing__ to do with it. _

_Moving his hands to her hips, checking himself, he let his tongue skim her bottom lip. Skye pulled away abruptly. He leaned forward, __unconsciously__, but she leaned completely back, dodging him. _

_"Kai," she said __breathlessly__,__warning. Panting, her lips already swollen, her chest rose and fell against his tantalizingly, but she was making a big effort to regain composure. "You couldn't have picked a better time to do this?"_

_He furrowed his brow, trying to catch his breath, still too distracted by the new sensation to fully comprehend the words._

_"Like, perhaps, when I'm not supposed to be working?" she suggested, sounding __put out, with a snarky edge, but also something else. _

_He couldn't tell what it was, __too fixated__ on his __irritation at the disruption of activity._

_However, her hand was still on his nape, her fingers moving in his hair. Her other fist still clenched the fabric of his shirt at his waist. Her eyes clearly focused on his mouth. _

_He only smirked, "Would you have __preferred__ I'd done it in the hallway __earlier__ today?" _

_Her eyes back on his, she raised her eyebrows and tilted her head__, __sarcasticall__y__ asking, "What do you think?" _

_He wasn't __deterred__. "Does that make you an exhibitionist? 'Cause that's kinda __sexy__."_

_"It would have been exhibitionism if we had sex in the hallway while completely naked," she corrected. "It's just P.D.A., for a kiss."_

_"I think it's a little too early in our relationship for hallway or library sex," he teased, with a __wolfish grin. "Oh, who am I kidding? I'm up for it if you are." _

_But Skye was staying serious. "Look, if my boss sees us, I'm going to lose my job. If my co-worker sees us, I will still lose my job, but then everyone will know why I lost my job. Either way, both options are not favorable for me." _

_Kai finally figured out then what else was laced within her tone - worry. Another layer to add to his list - she didn't like getting in trouble. Also had a healthy fear of authority and, apparently, judgment. _

_With everything else he had learned about her, this surprised him. He wouldn't have guessed she could be so self-__conscious__. _

_Skye had paused to look down the aisle, towards the mouth of it, which was empty from their vantage point. _

_Kai took that moment to dart forward, and start pressing kisses to the hollow of her jaw, working down her jaw line slowly. She had let out a gasp at the first one, turning her head back to face him, and he knew she was losing focus as he continued peppering more on the other side of her jaw. _

Good_, he thought as he dragged the edge of his teeth against the flesh there, and he dug his fingers into her hips. _

_She shivered, quite violently. _

_"Okay, I don't care anymore," she gasped out. Her hands grabbed his face now, and, with abandon, she latched on to his lips. This time, her lips parted and her tongue was poking out. He met it with his, and they tangled, battling for dominance, which she ceded to him after a moment. His predatory side cheered, for her lapses in control. _

_The new sensation flared up again, impossibly stronger, stirring within him the urge to do deeply depraved things to her. Things, of course, that would still leave her alive and well enough in the end, just so he would be afforded more opportunities for it. He'd bet any amount of money that she'd let him too, after an __initial__ and cursory reluctance, __calling__ to mind her own shadow he glimpsed. A little corruption could go a long way, and he was __enlivened__ by the prospect._

_They stayed, making out in the Psychology aisle for what felt like a long time, but was really only thirty minutes. They managed not to get caught or raise too much __suspicion__. He had remained relatively gentle, stayed PG-13 - his hands didn't drift under her T-shirt or in her pants, though they were itching to. He remembered their surroundings, and her __responsibilities__. _

_He only exercised this restraint because he didn't want to scare her off. Honestly, there were attributes of himself, that any smart, self-respecting girl would note with alarm and invoke reservations, that were possibly already doing the job for him. But they were also, __inexplicably__, probably drawing her closer. Girls - any straight girl- were attracted to handsome, dangerous boys. The ones who claimed they weren't, were lying. Skye was not an exception there again, __unfortunately__, but she was underestimating his particular brand of danger, just how lethal he could and wanted to be. _

_Just not with her, not yet anyway. _

_Overall, the only thing he wanted to do now was drown everything and everyone else out until all Skye cared about was him, and him alone. _

* * *

Skye was still reeling, horrified from the events of the taxi ride, as she walked with Kai down the campus's sidewalks, across the quad silently. Well, she was quiet. He was whistling, strutting, slightly ahead of her.

He had released her wrist minutes before to catch an errant Frisbee, which he tossed back like he was a carefree teenager, and not a recently escaped criminal.

_He really was __extraordinary_, she thought, _and not in a good way._ She shook her head at his gall.

The whole experience might've been something out of her past life, if she didn't think too hard about it. Her and Kai, strolling around a college campus together. Except, it was in her nature to think critically, deeply, and without delusion, and this wasn't the University of Oregon in 1993. It was a completely different campus in a completely different century, and she was with a completely different Kai. Who apparently thought he was above the law, and any other order, supernatural or not.

"Aren't you afraid you'll get caught?" she asked him curiously and anxiously, speeding up her gait to match his. He had left a dead body out in the open, with people nearby. He hadn't used any measures to prevent detection of evidence. Both of their fingerprints littered the car doors, and his were still probably warm on the earphones.

He turned to her, smirking. "Yeah, they'll lift our fingerprints," he granted. "Of course, we both know mine are in the system for that one time. You know, that dick that kept grabbing your ass...," he trailed off, undoubtedly reliving the memory of the fist fight he started with the stupid frat boy at their college bar in 1993. He'd gained the upper hand quickly since his opponent had been intoxicated. But then he'd started bashing the guy's head against the bar. Skye only remembered that part vividly - Kai grinning like a maniac the whole time, with bloody teeth, while she hung on to his arm, yelling at him to stop. He'd stopped before he inflicted too much damage, and was able to avoid prison time.

Now, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her snugly against his side. They might've resembled any other meandering couple on the campus, except Skye's arms were folded defensively across her chest, clearly uncomfortable with the contact. "Anyway, they'll find that they belong to a twenty two year old who went missing in 1994," he explained slowly, as if to a child.

She sighed, exasperated. "I know that, Kai. I didn't ask the question to get lectured on your past and police procedures."

He raised his index finger in the air, signaling for her to have patience. "The beauty of it is that they'll get my picture and age it 20 years because I'm sure that technology has only advanced with time. They'll be looking for a 40 year old." He gestured to himself with his free hand, to his hair untouched with gray, his unbroken physique, unwrinkled face. "Which, obviously, I do not look like. The only perk of that misguided prison world." He began laughing boisterously. "Oh, I wonder how my dad would react if he knew that his little punishment was only enabling me to commit more crimes. Oh, the irony is hilarious."

He only stopped laughing when he pulled them to a stop in a front of one of the campus's buildings. Red neon letters spelled out "Scull Bar" on the building front.

"A bar?" she asked. "We came all the way to Virginia to go to a bar? I know we've been out of the loop for awhile, but I'm sure these establishments can still be found pretty much anywhere."

His answering look to her was unamused, but his expression quickly changed to one of restrained glee. "Oh, babe, this bar is special. I can feel it," he said. Strengthening his grip on her shoulders, he moved forward, reaching towards the door. She balked suddenly, and ducked out from under his arm.

Kai swung around, his hand already extended out to make a grab, his actions quick, like he thought she was bolting. But Skye stood where she'd stopped, scanning their surroundings.

"What are you doing?" he asked, puzzled, dropping his arm.

"Where do you think the library is?" Now she turned completely around, to stare across the quad at the buildings on the other side.

"Hate to break it to you, Skye, but we don't really have the time for some leisurely reading."

"Yes, because _reading _is the very first thing I'd promised myself I'd do upon returning to the real world," she quipped, facing him. "Because that make so much sense, Kai."

Titling his head, Kai studied her intently. Waiting for an explanation that would make sense, no doubt.

"You never tell me anything," she accused. " So why should I tell you why?"

"Come on, I tell you plenty of things," he countered casually. Which wasn't a lie, technically. The truth of it was he just didn't tell her much relevant information she'd actually _like _to be privy to.

"Oh really?" she challenged. "Why are we in Virginia? Why are we at some bar on a college campus? Why do you wear so much jewelry? Why are you so crazy? All are questions I believed I've asked before, in some form or another. All are questions I still don't know the answers to."

Kai only grinned widely, clearly entertained. He was so _damn _infuriating.

"I'm not going into that bar," she said firmly. The grin instantly dropped from his face.

"You're so funny, babe," he chuckled coldly. "Actually thinking that I care about what you want." He took a menacing step forward.

"Nope," she protested, taking a step back. "You can go do whatever you want in there. I'm going to the library."

"So cute-" He grabbed her arm roughly, bringing her forward and his hard, uncompromising face close to hers. " - to think that you have a choice."

She wasn't fazed by the intimation tactic. Instead, she focused on making her tone sound less antagonistic and yanked her arm back. "Let's make a deal, okay? If you let me go, I promise to come back."

His face shifted, becoming blank. She recognized that particular detached look, the one that usually came across his face before he did something unpleasant, a move that signified just how much he did not care for her conduct. But she needed to secure the deal, and quick before he settled on a method to erase its possibility completely.

"I will be back in an hour," she pushed on. "I won't question you again. I won't interfere either, in whatever else you have planned." God, she hated how pathetic she sounded. She was practically begging. She also hated the terms she was agreeing to follow. However, if that's what it took, she was willing to go to those lengths.

Here, his expression turned speculative, which had the potential to be promising, but she could tell he was still not entirely convinced. "And I'm just supposed to believe you?" he finally scoffed. "Even though you've been betraying me left and right for the better part of this last week - what with your absconding of mystical objects, joining forces with judgmental witches, and planning dramatic escapes without me. Yeah, not looking so trustworthy."

Skye's temper flared, at the unfairness of it all and his nerve, but she kept her voice even, not wanting to spark any ire and prevent his capitulation. "Malachai, I don't think we should compare our lists of betrayals." _Because my list of yours would be exponentially longer,_ was the part she left unsaid.

His eyes flashed dangerously for a second, glinting madly, but he said nothing.

He looked away then, and appeared to be mulling it over. Probably trying to decide whether the reward she was offering was worth the risk of letting her go off on her own.

Hopeful, she examined his profile, searching for a sign that he'd relent, her eyes zoning in on the scratches on his left cheek from earlier in the day. The marks were fainter now, pink, less noticeable, but they bolstered her confidence, emboldened her to continue.

"I know what you're capable of," she told him softly. "Have I tried to run away yet? No, because I know how absolutely pointless it would be. Nobody would believe my story, anyway."

He returned his gaze to her face and scrutinized her carefully, gauging her sincerity.

She wasn't lying - she didn't want to run away, at least at this moment. Besides, she didn't know when she'd get the opportunity again.

She knew she had won when his blank mask found its way on his face again.

"Fine, an hour," he agreed begrudgingly.

Reigning her excitable emotions, careful not to let them show, she instantly turned, and took off in the direction they had come.

"A 'thank you' would be polite and appreciated," Kai called after her. She didn't acknowledge him.

* * *

It took fifteen minutes of wandering around the campus before Skye even found the library, on the north edge, even after consulting a map. A stately building with Georgian architecture. However, she still felt completely lost when she stepped into its lobby. The scent of musty books didn't greet her, but instead, the scent of coffee from a kiosk, front and center.

She had to travel to the second floor to even find books.

Drifting around, she looked for the huge cabinets that would contain card catalogues, but her quest proved fruitless. Instead, she was met with only desks, home to what she assumed were computers, but the machines were much sleeker than anything she had seen in the '90s.

Some desks housed actual people, employees ready to help, but Skye wasn't sure what to ask them. She would only reveal her own ignorance and make a fool of herself, and probably gain nothing. Besides, what were the chances that a college campus in Virginia had copies of recent phone books from the Portland area? Because that was the only viable place she could think of to begin her research. And, who knew if they even printed phone books anymore?

She wished she had asked Kai to explain the comment he'd made about the Internet in the prison world, and for a demonstration on how to use the cellphone in her back pocket.

She was starting to believe she really hadn't thought this excursion through all that well.

Trying to quell the all too familiar feeling of defeat, she soon collapsed at an empty table. Burying her heads in her arms, she took deep breathes. All that haggling with Kai was for naught, and now she was still beholden to the terms. As if her life couldn't be dominated anymore by the sociopath and his machinations.

Obviously, he was keeping her around for some reason. Otherwise, she knew with terrifying certainty, he would've already disposed of her.

He would get rid of her when she had fulfilled her purpose, she was sure.

But what was her purpose? For him? What could she possibly be good for? She wasn't a witch or a vampire, possessed no other paranormal gifts. She was normal, painfully so, and completely, hatefully vulnerable.

_And I might never see my family again_, she thought, her heart seizing up in her chest. They had been the anchor she had clung to, while trapped in the prison world. The hope that kept her sane throughout the endless cycles of merciless violence and twisted domesticity she had engaged in with Kai. The memories of them only grew more and more faded as the joke of time stretched on.

Her mom's smile - her wrinkles around her eyes crinkled up, right?

Anya's aggravated tone as they argued some intellectual concept - why had she fought with her so much?

Anthony's giggles as she tickled him - were the sounds as joyful as she wanted them to be?

Sitting up, she rubbed her fingers across her stinging eyes, removing the moisture.

_Just more deep breathes_, she told herself. _Don't think about them. You've made it this far. You're half way there. You're think of something. You'll see them again. _

Because they _had _to still be out there, wherever. They had to be missing her, had to be in denial about the information that had been undoubtedly given to them after her disappearance. They knew her because they were her's, and she would be theirs again.

Until then, she needed a new purpose for herself, she decided, a drive her mind recollecting back to the blank look on Kai's face.

She felt responsibility, in some small part, for his condition - for failing to notice what he was before it was too late ... for their past - for not doing more _that night.._for their present and their future, which was going to be messy - filled with corpses, ruthless bids for power, misguided plots for revenge, and, quite possibly, her own demise.

Perhaps, her new purpose could be to minimize _his _damage from here on out, although that went against all the terms she had earlier agreed to. Skye could walk that line- she could undermine him in incremental degrees- discreetly and subtly, without some perverse sense of guilt.

Besides, it wasn't like Kai had ever kept his promises.

And just maybe, she would get lucky and somehow make it through to the other side, when everything was all said and done. Unlikely, but she was desperate enough to hold on to the small chance with everything she had left.

She pulled the phone from her back pocket, to check the time. Before, miraculously, she had managed to get the device to flash her the time when she had departed from Kai's presence. Now, she set to work, pressing all the buttons on the sides of the phone, the gadget chiming different notes, until the screen showed her the time again. She had five minutes to make it back to the bar. Bracing herself, she slipped the phone back into her pocket and exited the library.

* * *

Boy, was the irony building, Kai soon discovered, seated behind the physical bar, that was being tended by his baby sister. Who really wasn't a toddler anymore, but his age - well, the age he appeared to be. She had come a long way from headbands, tutu skirts, and unicorn t-shirts. She went by 'Liv,' which had caused him to smile. She was going to be the opposite of her nickname, after he was finished with his business here.

But he had a hour to kill first. So, after he requested a Zima from his unsuspecting sister who categorically did _not _have a proclivity for customer service, and been given Coke instead, he played a game of Angry Birds on his phone. Soon, he became angry himself at his own ineptness, then perused Twitter instead. He set up his own account. His sister didn't like his twitter handle - _CobraKai1972_\- but he knew Skye would approve. Perhaps, he could set one up for her-_WeirdMacchioAdmirer_\- but only because the guy had aged so gracefully.

Then came the time where the few, weekday evening stragglers had made their way out of the bar, and he decided to order a real drink. Gin, because it could put hair on your chest.

Liv had to look over his I.D. twice before she even recognized who he was, (apparently his father had done a stellar job of erasing his existence) but, by then, he was able to start draining a good portion of her magic, a euphoric surge overtaking his veins, while she writhed against the bar top, whimpering.

The second irony presented itself in her retaliation. She stabbed him in his left shoulder with a knife from the bar, close to where Skye had stabbed him yesterday, and broke away, running. Apparently, the women in his life had it out for his rotator cuff.

He only responded to that by magically locking all the doors, and chasing her to the second floor of the bar, which over-looked the first.

Perhaps the biggest irony of all was when, right when he had Liv cornered, after taunting her about still abysmal Hide and Seek skills, a man - his witchy intuition told him he was a werewolf, or maybe he gleaned that from the strength the guy possessed - appeared out of nowhere, and while saying something undoubtedly dumb, pushed him through the balcony railing. He landed, with a resounding thud, behind the bar.

He had almost come to his own death while pursuing his sister's.

So there he laid, done with irony for the day, and, _yep_, his ribs were definitely broken because the simple effort of breathing was excruciating. Blood was welling up in his mouth.

He was glad he'd stolen so much magic from Liv. Raising his left hand, he brought it to his chest, and chanted, "_ Phasmatos __Sanabitus_." The spell was warm as it travelled through his body and repaired the damage. Soon, he was able to grab the edge of the bar's shelves, and stand to his feet. Once he was upright, he cracked his neck, and he heard a knocking at the bar's entrance. He unlocked the door with a swipe of his hand.

"Kai?"

He inhaled sharply at the voice, something akin to relief flooding through him. Here she was, his next order of business.

Skye walked into the atrium-like interior of the bar. Her eyes were roving the vicinity, taking in the splintered railing above him, him hunched over the surface of the bar.

"So I'm not gonna ask, like I promised," she said, taking a seat on one of the stools.

_Good_. Because that whole situation had been embarrassing and had not gone down the way it was supposed to at all. And, well, that was maddening.

"But since you're already behind the bar, mind making me a drink?" she continued coyly.

He grinned at her slyly, and felt a bit of the blood dribble out of his mouth. Her answering smile was half-hearted, weary, with a small hint of disgust. Her person betrayed nothing of what she had been up to in the last hour.

"Let me guess," he said, wiping his mouth with the sleeve of his jacket. "Straight whiskey?" He was already reaching for a shot glass, from the underside of the bar, as she nodded. He picked Jack Daniels, and filled the glass before passing it to her. She knocked it back, impressively, barely wincing.

However, before she even set the glass down, he had muttered, "Sorry, babe," and,

gripping her head, he swiftly slammed it down on the rough surface of the bar. With only enough force, he hoped, to knock her out. She slumped against the bartop, unconscious, but still breathing. So enough force, then. "Actually, I'm not really all that sorry," he told her callously.

Leisurely coming around to the other side of the bar, Kai talked all the while: "You kinda pissed me off earlier in the car. And, well, it just really hasn't gone away. Funnily enough, It's really only gotten worse." Here, he glared up at the balcony above his head.

Reaching her spot, he pulled the backpack off her back, dropped it to the ground, and lifted her, until her body lay flat on the surface. Her forehead sported a nasty cut, right side, starting at the middle of her forehead and stretching diagonally up into her hairline. It was bleeding profusely, like all head wounds were apt to do - he was roused by the sight, as per usual. It was something pure that had never gotten old, that he never grew tired of seeing.

"Also, you have a really jacked up way of showing your gratitude. After all the trouble I went through to get you here, and you tell me you want Damon to kill me. Like, pfff, as if he could." He laughed at the mental image that surfaced at the ridiculous thought.

But, apparently, some random werewolf, with ties to his baby sister, could come close. He stopped laughing abruptly- the events from earlier still didn't set well with him.

He refocused on Skye, his voice soft. "And then you demand some separation, making promises I know you won't keep." He pushed her hair aside, half-tenderly. But his action was too late as he noticed some strands contaminated by the blood. "Well, I guess you did keep one - you came back. But, then again, I already knew you would," he finished smugly.

Bending down, he picked up the backpack. Unzipping it, he pulled the Grimoire from it, and opened the book up on the bartop. He skimmed several sections, before he found the spell he wanted. Running his fingers over the words of the incantation, he murmured them quietly, repeatedly, until he felt had a decent grasp of their order and pronunciation.

Scanning behind him, Kai sought the knife he'd pulled from his arm and tossed on the ground earlier. Spotting it, he summoned it into his hand, using magic. Deftly and unflinching, he slashed his own palm.

He pressed his bloodied hand against her cut, the reds mingling. Closing his eyes, to better concentrate, he whispered the spell, "_Phasma__tos __vinculum per sanguinem, quis damnificatur utriusque__. __Phasmatos __vinculum per sanguinem, quis damnificatur utriusque.__"_ He felt a flow of energy rushing between his hand and her head. It pulsed - the sensation was hot, an invisible fire, almost unbearable in its intensity. He expected his hand to be charred when he pulled it away.

When the extreme warmth dissipated, he opened his eyes and took in a deep breathe. Bringing his hand down to her cheek, his thumb stroked her cheekbone, his smile soft.

"You won't want me dead now, babe," he told her, icily, his tone a contrast to the expression on his face. He removed his hand, leaving behind a bloody hand-print, stark on her pale skin.

* * *

Finding an older model vehicle on Whitmore College campus he could hot-wire was easier than he had expected. What was difficult, was carrying an bloodied, unconscious girl around, though his muscles no longer ached, since they were renewed by the healing spell from earlier. Good thing he still had Liv's very convenient magic to cloak them - with just enough left for some more light fun.

The map of Virginia in the glove box was also a fortunate find. Using his still bleeding hand, he dripped some blood on its surface, reflecting back to Liv's face and crazy, curly, blonde hair.

His blood travelled to a spot labelled, "Mystic Falls Cemetery," just a few inches from the dot that denoted the township itself.

When he reached his destination forty-five minutes later, he left Skye in the car on the side of the road, still unresponsive, just outside the city limits.

The cemetery was surrounded by some woods, as the map had shown him, but it wasn't dense, easily traversed.

Soon, he met two others, though not the two he had anticipated.

No, it was even was comforting the whiny girl beside him. So that must be _the Elena_. She didn't appear all that special to him, at the moment. He almost expected to start doing tricks at any minute, if only to live up to her reputation.

_Talk about respect for the dead_, he mused, as they sat on the ground, casually leant against a headstone, as if it were the headboard of a bed. Another irony, if you thought to hard about it, considering the two were technically dead.

What really titillated Kai's interest the most was the object Elena held her hands.

"... until the next comet, or full moon, or eclipse," Damon assured softly. "As long as we have that we can go back as many times as we need until we get her back."

"Wait, are you guys talking about Bonnie Bennett?" Kai made his presence known, leaned against a tree, messing with a stray flower he had picked up on his way through the forest (maybe if he shoved it in Skye's face when she woke, she wouldn't be mad at him, and instead confounded. The potential to creep her out was always an added bonus for him). Their heads snapped to him, in tandem. It was almost adorable. To somebody else, probably. To him, absolutely disgusting.

"Because, honestly," he admitted, throwing the flower aside. "I didn't think she was all that great."

Then raised his hand, and waved his index finger, sending the Ascendant from Elena's hand into a tree nearby, where it shattered upon impact into pieces that littered the ground. "No!" she exclaimed, jumping to her feet, and running to the bits.

Damon stood to his feet, appearing to size Kai up.

"Where's your girl?" he asked, mock- curious. "'Cause I know she ain't with Bonnie."

"She's safe," Kai answered, stepping forward. "But it's really nice of you to worry."

"So has she tried to run away from you yet?" Damon matched his step, smirking. "I'm only wondering since I know for a fact that she hates your guts. "

"See, _unsurprisingly_, Damon, that's where you're wrong," Kai corrected.

"So showing up to greet you with a baseball bat was an expression of her love?"

Kai remained unruffled by Damon's attempt to goad him. "We're just kinky like that," he shrugged.

Damon's lip curled into a snarl. In the next second, he rushed Kai, a blur of motion. But Kai's hand went up, and Damon was visible again, as he fell on the ground, incapacitated and groaning. He clutched his head, more strangled sounds of pain coming from his mouth.

"Oh, yeah, Damon, I stole some of Liv's magic when I tried to kill her," he informed. stepping around the vampire, who was still recovering from his magic aneurysm.

Damon took a swipe at Kai's legs as Kai passed but missed. "I think some of it still may be in my system. So, pardon me." Kai flicked his hand again, and Damon was swept backwards a few feet by an invisible force.

Kai turned, focusing on Elena, who had been foraging through the grass like a mad women during his whole exchange with Damon, desperate to find all the pieces of the Ascendant, most of which were now gathered in her hands.

Kai approached her. "Ah, ah, ah," he tutted, crouching to grab that pesky golden gear.

"You missed one," he told her while she stared back at him, fearful and mystified. "_Phasmatos Incendia_," he chanted, letting the gear fall onto the pile of metal she had collected in her hand. The gear caught fire, and soon all the pieces were on fire, and spreading to her hand, licking up her arm. She fumbled around, crying out, dropping the pieces. But it was too late, as her clothes were ignited.

Kai stood, and waited. Anticipating Damon's attack from behind.

He heard Damon's rushing, and quickly cloaked himself before Damon could get his arms around him. Kai had simply stepped to the side, and he was working hard to keep in his laughter as Damon spun around wildly, looking in all directions.

Damon, surprising Kai, took a heavy, thick branch from the ground and swung it behind him.

Hitting Kai, it propelled him backward through the air, uncloaking his figure. He had flown over the Cemetery's low fence, and landed with a loud "oof," this time on his front. What was with people and knocking him around today?

On his knees, trying to get his breathe, he looked up at the vampire couple. Elena had put the fire out, Damon had dropped the branch. They both drifted to stand together, united. Damon started rubbing her ashy arm. "You okay?"

_Yuck_. But he kept his inner commentary to himself, for once, and instead turned his attention to the border of the iron fence.

"Huh, I guess, this is that anti-magic border," he guessed. "Which means now there's a psycho loose in Mystic Falls, and no vampires around to stop him."

They glared at him. "Whoops," he taunted, then proceeded to walk away. He smirked to himself, while headed back to the car. Giving vampires aneurysms was a lot of fun, but their pain was only half of it. The other lied in the ability to gain information from the brains, if you focused enough, even while the target was in pain. He had the werewolf's name and address now.

* * *

_A/N: So it never made sense to me that Kai didn't know werewolves existed until he had been bitten by Tyler in the season finale. So in this story, he does know about them. Also, I know __aneurysm__ spell don't allow a witch access into a vampire's mind, but guess what. Technically, this is an A.U. fic, even if it, at points, is canon-complaint, and I do what I want, lol. Otherwise, how the hell did he know who Tyler was or where he lived? Surely, Tyler wasn't Damon's and Bonnie's main topic to discuss in the prison world?_

_Anyway, I hope you enjoyed! The next chapter will feature the __continuation__ of this episode - I had to split again because this was getting so long. But, as always, doing so also affords more opportunities for flashbacks. _

_Thanks everyone for the continued support and welcome to newcomers. I want to reply to the reviewers of Chapter 8 (since I couldn't last time) and Chapter 9 so I apologize for the __length__ of this A/N in advance. _

_Guests - Re: Chapter 8 and 9- Thanks so much for the enthusiasm and praise. You guys are funny and so nice. _

_Savily - Thank you so much! Re: 8 - I'm glad you're enjoying it so much! Sorry Ch 10's flashback wasn't in the prison world, but the rest will be. _

_RHatch89 -Thank you for both reviews! For taking the time to say anything at all consistently is something I really appreciate. _

_Kay: Thank you, I hope you like Chapter 9 and this chapter too. _

_Prettygirl16 - Re: Ch 8 - Thanks for the review! No, Skye's not a witch. As for her becoming a vampire, we'll have to wait and see. It's gonna be a while before she can come to grips with how she feels romantically about Kai. _

_Livhardy: Thank you for both? of your reviews!_

_romanovaquill - Re: Ch 8 - Thank you so much for your in-depth review! You're really too kind. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and Ch 9. _

_VampireAndLiars - Re: Ch 8 - Thank you! I do have a completely different ending planned, but the witchpires will make an appearance. _

_TetraGirl - Thanks so much for both reviews! I hope you like this flashback! Thanks for your concern over Skye. Sorry that it's another long one, lol. But it's split again, I'm glad you don't mind. _

_justfourmisfits: -Re: Ch 8 - Thank you! Thanks for the suggestion, it will pop up sometime. I don't know exactly when. Yes, I'm all aboard SaveKai2k15, lol. _

_Elyon - Re: Ch 8 - Thank you! Yes, I plan to write that, just know it will pop up sometime. _

_Princess Magic: Thank you!_

_LovelyFandomLover: Thank you so much for both of your reviews! Re: Ch 8 - yeah, he was asking for support in a way because she is the only one who's ever really supported him __unconditionally__ in the past - of course, she didn't know the full story and she certainly doesn't agree with his actions. We'll see Liv's and Luke's reactions soon enough (sorry it wasn't this chapter!). Re: Ch 9 - I hope you Ch 10 just as much as this one. I'm glad you liked the marriage comment- I wasn't too sure about it. _

_Sarahmichellegellarfan1- Thank you for both reviews! I __appreciate__ your continued support! _

_annabethchase1500: Thank you for __your __review__!__ R__e; Ch 8 - __I feel so special, lol, to write your favorite Kai/TVD fanfic. Love your username by the way! Big "Percy Jackson" series fan, myself. _

_The Serpent Underneath: Thanks so much! Re: Ch 8 - Yeah, jealous Kai is fun and little scary to write - hope you enjoy the jealous moments above in the Ch 10 flashback too! _

_SourlessCherryxx: Thanks for__ the__ reviews__! __Re: Ch 8 - I hope you like Ch 10 as much as this one, lol. Sorry it takes so long for updates - life gets in the way too much. _

_flamegirl100 - Re: Ch 8 - Thanks for the question. Yes, I have a few sex scenes planned for the future. I just don't know how graphic they're going to be - perhaps you could let me know what you __prefer__. Actually, if anybody reading this response has an opinion on this topic, let me know. _

_evilHope89 - Thanks so much for both reviews! You're so kind._

_YoCupcake - Thanks so much for both of your very in-depth reviews and support! Also, for your own amazing Bonkai stories because I love them. I've been toying with the idea of writing for Bonkai too, but can't seem to come up with any good ideas (Don't worry, guys, still 100% committed to Skai!) Re: Ch 9 - Thanks for your concern over Skye. Yeah, I plan to keep with that style. Next chapter is almost exclusively original scenes. Your insight is great- it really helps me! Also, I personally think you should never stop with the Kai smut, lol. ; ) I might just show this hate sex, if it's something everyone would like to see. Anyway, hope you enjoyed Ch 10. _

_SuperFan999- Thanks for the question! Re: Ch 8 - The test was to see if they would fall for his "pity party." if they reacted the way he wanted, he probably would've taken them both back without violence. But they didn't and insisted on leaving him, so that was when he had take matters into his own hands. He basically wants to keep her at his side, for different reasons. He wanted her to choose to stay with him. _

_Friday1221: Thanks for both of your reviews! Re:Ch 8 - You called it- she was pissed as you saw in Chapter 9, lol. I'm glad you enjoyed Ch 9! Yeah, I get wrapped up in their interactions, because they are non-canon. They're so fun to write together by themselves. _

_We're All M-M- Mad Here: Thanks so much! I hope you like Ch 10 too. It's gonna be awhile before Skye meets Caroline, but you bring up an interesting point I haven't thought about. Also, surprise! I took your suggestion as the basis for this flashback! I hope it was everything you wanted. Sorry it took so long, but life gets in the way and it's difficult sometime because this fic operates on two different timelines - which is my own fault but whatever, I still enjoy the challenge. _

_PhanPhicAddict: Thank you! Lol, I hope they were good dreams! Hope you enjoyed Ch 10, especially this flashback!_

_juliakaweirdo: Thanks for the suggestions! I hope this flashback shed more light for you, on their previous relationship. Skye's initial reaction to the prison world and Kai's action will be showed eventually! I'm also excited for her to meet the Scooby Doo Gang, which will happen soon, hopefully. _

_Lizzy B: Thanks for your review, and I'm glad you enjoy evil Kai and the story. However, I'm going to have to respectfully disagree with you about Skye. I think Skye's 'angst,' for lack of a better word, is completely appropriate for the situation. She is reacting how any "normal" person would - one capable of empathy and emotions. In fact, if she were able to just let everything that happened to her (everything Kai's done to her) roll off her back, she wouldn't be realistic or sane. Some might say it would be unrealistic for her to still be sane after 20 years of abuse in the prison world, but I know Skye's character. I also know that she has never been one to throw herself a full out pity party or been whiny - in fact, she's usually more concerned about others before herself, especially when it comes to Kai. Honestly, her 'angst' is only going to get worse as the story progresses, just so you know. Secondly, I also have to disagree that his parents "deserved" to have their children slaughtered by their own son. __Nobody__ deserves that, no matter how terrible they are. _

_sayorii: Thank you so much! I'm definitely continuing it - it's gonna be quite long too probably, since I keep having to split up the episodes. Can I ask what your native language is? _

_sbritt264: Thank you! I plan to, just might be a little slow. _

_Khari: Omg, thank so much! Your review almost brought tears to my eyes - so nice. I'm honored you think so highly of it. I hope you like this chapter. _

_ThePhantomismyLove: Lol, I did, here it is! Much more to come, just can't promise when. _

_Half Cactus: Thank so much! Hope this update was quick enough for you, lol. Thanks for your comment about Skye - her being realistic is very important to me._

_Female whovian: Thank you! Glad to see your username again! I hope you like this chapter and the flashback. Don't worry, Skai is actually the official ship name decided by the readers. Also, I can't say it's wrong to ship them, lol - that's kinda the point of the whole of the story, after all. _

_xxMikealsonForeverxx: I'm glad to see ya again! Thank you! _


	11. Chapter 11

Set during 6x09, "I Alone"

_I'll wrap up my bones_

_And leave them_

_Out of this home_

_Out on the road_

_Two feet standing on a principle_

_Two hands longing for each other's warmth_

_Cold smoke seeping out of colder throats_

_Darkness falling, leaves nowhere to go_

_It's __spiraling__ down_

_Biting words like a wolf howling_

_Hate is spitting out each other's mouths_

_But we're still sleeping like we're lovers_

_Still with feet touching_

_Still with eyes meeting_

_Still our hands match_

_Still with hearts beating _

_Two feet standing on a principle_

_Two hands digging in each other's wounds_

_Cold smoke seeping out of colder throats_

_Darkness falling, leaves nowhere to move_

"Still" - Daughter

Chapter 11 - Leaves Nowhere to Go

_**Warning: for graphic violence and sexual content. **_

_May 10, 1994_

_After the blinding white light disappeared, Skye was still shaking on the floor of the Parker's cellar, her surroundings exactly the same - the minimal sunlight spilling through the small rectangular window near the ceiling, the cold cement, several __shelves__ lining the walls, filled with questionable items. Other customized __shelves__ cradled wine bottles. _

_The only difference was that Mr. Parker was gone - his figure, which had been raised above her, one hand balled into a fist, the other clutching an object, and chanting in what sounded like Latin, simply hadn't been there anymore when she opened her eyes, after the light subsided. _

_Her throat was raw, from her __non-stop__ pleading for explanations, for her own life, and her screaming out at the __agonizing__ pain Kai's dad had inflicted on her with whatever nonsensical ritual he had performed. What the hell was it anyway? How he could affect her in that manner, without even touching her? _

_The only explanation she could up with was that it was magic, but that was impossible. Magic didn't exist. Witches and all the other __fantastical__ creatures that were so interesting to read about in literature didn't exist, that's what made the stories all that more special - but what had that display been? _

Your pain was real, _she told herself. _

_So had been the events of the night, but the heavy pit of dread and despair in her stomach told her that. _

_She had to be dead - that was the only _rational _conclusion she could draw overall. He had killed her, enraged by Kai's actions and mistaking her own. A bright light, extreme __anguish__ \- weren't those the exact details all people, who had come back from the brink of death, shared when questioned about their experience?_

_Physically, she didn't feel or appear that much different, as she surveyed herself. Just a little weak, but that was too be expected after what she had endured that night. _Her own death_. Possibly. _

_She shivered, but it wasn't a reaction to the cold air that lingered. She had always said Kai Parker was going to be the death of her, she'd just never expected it to __actually__ become the case. Or that he'd take others with her. _

_Shakily, she stood to her feet and made her way to the staircase. _

_The door opened easily to showcase the hallway of the Parker's house, no lock to hamper it. That had not been the case __earlier__; it had barely budged as she pushed against it __desperately__, screaming for help, but to no avail. _

_The hallway itself was empty, she noted, as her eyes swept it. Then she took in the state of the back door, the smear of blood that stood out so starkly against the frosted glass. _

_Her hand found it's way to her mouth. She clutched her eyes shut for a moment, fighting her impulse to cry out. _

_Cautiously, she stepped out into the hall and made her way around the corner, into the foyer. _

_The evidence of the massacre was still fresh - blood covered several more surfaces, the metallic smell of it strong in the air. _

_Mr Parker had knocked her out before, when he had found her and the twins in the woods, and transported her into the basement so she had not seen the aftereffects of Kai's decision until that moment. _

_But where the bodies? Had they already been moved? _

_If she wasn't dead, wouldn't this house be a flurry of activity? Uniformed __individuals __traipsing__ in and out, investigating the recent crime scene. _But they would've found you, brought you in.

_Maybe, she was not dead and had just been unconscious all this time. Maybe the police had never been alerted? But had they forgotten about her? Where was everybody, then? Mrs. Parker, the twins? The house was quiet, not even a creak of a floorboard to indicate a presence. _

_More questions kept assaulting her - had Kai been caught? Was he contained? His dad had not breathed a word to her, except the Latin ones. And, of course, the words betrayed nothing, other than that Mr. Parker was possibly some weird cult leader, capable of impossible things. _

_Nothing made sense to her, and she suffered under the barrage of more hows, buts, and whys, sinking to her knees and curled up into herself, her hand unknowingly inching into a pool of blood, coating her fingertips. She didn't even register it, as close as she was to a breaking point, then she heard it - a loud crashing sound from the direction of the hallway, where the basement door was located. _

_She sat, frozen, and __strained__ her ears. More sounds, distant thumps and thuds, were travelling to her. _

_So somebody was there. Fear hit her then, but so did __adrenaline__._

_Slowly, she got back up and started towards the source of the noise. It was coming from the end of the hallway, where a door was ajar. Skye wasn't sure how she missed it earlier, when she had peeked out into the hallway from the basement door._

_She crept forward, taking light steps. The noises continued as she drew nearer and nearer. It truly sounded like the room, whatever it was, was being torn apart. _

_She pushed her head as carefully as she could through the crack and saw her suspicions were correct. The room was destroyed - lamp debris littered the ground as well as ripped book pages and detached tome covers, bookcases and chairs __overturned__, paintings and framed pictures on the ground, respectively ripped of their frames or their glass front cracked. _

_And at the center of the mess, the boy she had once claimed to love,stood behind a desk, __ransacking__ a drawer with one hand, tossing all the items he found there on the floor, and gripped a baseball bat in his other. _

_Kai looked livid, his __nostrils__ flared, his mouth screwed up, breathing heavily. He let out a unint__e__ll__i__gible yell and pulled out the drawer completely, slung it at the wall forcefully, where it cracked the dry wall and fell. He brought up the bat over his head and slammed it against the surface of the desk, the piercing smack __reverberating__ in the room, in the__ silent house__. He repeated the action until the desk b__owed__, the wood splitting. _

_Skye observed his episode with bated breath, rooted to the spot. _What did this mean? _Was he dead too? But he looked as alive and real as she felt, still flesh and blood. Had he killed everyone? Including his dad? Disposed of their bodies while she was unconscious. Then why was he so angry? Why would he stay behind at the scene of the crime?_

_A realization stole over her, leaving her cold. _Am I in hell?

_Unbidden, a word escaped her mouth, "No..." _

_But that was the only __possible__ reason Kai would be here with her..if she was dead like she was truly starting to believe, with only the most profound, soul-crushing certainty. _

_His head snapped up at her utterance, and he looked shocked, his eyes tracing her features, meeting her eyes. She stared back, unblinking, too frightened to move, to even think. _

_But then he smiled, but it was too wide, his teeth gnashed together. Ugly and unsettling. Slowly, he began laughing - the sound loud and harsh, causing her to flinch - and it quickly turned into a cackling. He tried to regain composure, then he'd point his finger at her, like her simple presence was amusing to him. and then resume another round. _

_Finally, he calmed enough to speak. "This just keeps getting better and better," he said, which sent into another fit, this time his laughs soundless and he clutched his stomach with one hand. _

_She was tempted to ask just what the hell he meant by that statement, but she had finally unglued her feet from the ground, and, deep inside, she found that her interest in information didn't outweigh her new found fear of the man that had revealed himself to be a lunatic._

_So she turned quickly and ran. _

_"Hey!" he yelled after her, his voice now devoid of __the, albeit __false, mirth__._

_Ran like the devil was on her heels because he was. But he had to pick his way through__ the wreckage__. _

_She dashed to the front door and out of it, too scared to look back. She did hear the heavy footfalls behind her several seconds later, sharp against the porch slats. However, she quicken her pace until she was running across the yard at a speed she didn't think she'd ever reached before. _

_The car still sat on the dirt track, and the relief she felt at the sight of it was __acute__. The door was unlocked, and she slid behind the driver's seat, shutting the door, pushing the lock down. _

_She frantically searched for the keys, jumping at the first slap on the window. _

_"Skye! Open the door," he commanded darkly. _

_She found them in the glove-box. She pushed down on the clutch and turned the ignition, then put the car in reverse, her other foot on the __accelerator__. She pressed it down, and the car lurched backward ... then stalled. She had forgotten to ease up on the clutch._

_"Shit!" she muttered and that's when the bat hit the window. The glass cracked threateningly in her ear. __Desperately__, she turned the key again as she__ thrust her foot against__ the clutch, and the car started. _

_The next hit caused the glass to shatter outward. _

_Skye screeched, closed her eyes as the shards bit into her skin. His hand reached in, enclosed around her neck, but she fought his grip with one of her own hands, while the other grabbed the gearshift, jerked it into reverse again. She released the clutch as she hit the __accelerator__. _

_His hand fell away with the forceful movement of the car as it reversed wildly, backing away from him. _

_His look was murderous - Skye saw as she regarded him through the windshield. He stalked forward, but she put the car into first while slamming her foot down on the gas as her other foot __let__ up on the clutch. The car rocketed forward, missed him by inches, before she righted the steering wheel and then she was driving the way they'd come, in the opposite direction on the dirt path. She looked in the rear-view mirror, to find his figure growing smaller and smaller. She sighed out__, __relie__ved__. _

_She rapidly worked her way up to fifth gear and drove until she passed Portland's city limits. _

_She had been on autopilot, mindless. At one point, she had dusted herself of the shards of glass, hissing against the sting, surprised that no larger pieces had impaled her. Small piece had embedded themselves, however. _

_But she came to attention when she passed through the city, instantly alarmed by its __eerie__ stillness. Absolutely no other cars on the freeways, though the dash clock read that it was noon. She took an exit, only to find now the city streets were without any people too, though the day was sunny. _

_It was a ghost town, something __straight__ out of an __apocalypse__ film. _

_Logically, she knew it only supported __the__ theory she had been formulating. _

_But a bigger part of her was in denial and yearned for comfort and familiarity to combat all that was strange and unf__athomable._

_She soon got back on the freeway and followed the signs for Salem. _

_When she turned into her neighborhood, and onto her street, she started slowing, shifting down, until she reached her driveway and parked the car. Her mom's __Ford__ and Anya's __Nissan __were there, and for the first time since she had woken, hope stirred within her, to an almost overwhelming degree. _

_She sprinted into the house. "Mom! Anya!" _

_She called all the while she searched for them, first her Mom's bedroom - which looked exactly the same, the bed __perpetually__ unmade because as she'd always put it, "Life's too short for that." Then Anya's room, where the floor was littered with Anthony's array of toys and dirty clothes. _

_Skye kept calling for them, until her voice was hoarse. _

_She realized in the back of her mind that it was useless, but she couldn't stop. Because she didn't want to believe it. _

_She went to her own room, crawled up onto her bed, and chose that moment to finally break down fully, __fueled__ by her new knowledge. _

_She sobbed, until she couldn't breath. Then she started her own demolition, much like Kai had of his dad's office just a couple of hours before. She tore her sheets and blankets from her bed because they had been the sheets and blankets she and Kai had slept on during Christmas. Next, she threw the framed picture she kept of them there on her nightstand against the wall. She wasn't satisfied by it's __anticlimactic__ fall on the bedwear so she grabbed it, unlatched the back, and pulled the picture out. She ripped it in half, __separating__ their smiling figures, then __shredded__ his face into even smaller pieces, unable to stand the mischievous grin. _

_She let the other half of the picture fall carelessly to the floor, then she fell too. _

_She screamed aloud, like she never had before. It was loud and uninhibited. Nobody would hear it anyway, apparently. But it did nothing to sooth the storm inside - chaotic swirling of __hopelessness__, the __longing__ for destruction.. _

_The thought of destruction brought forth an idea - there was one way to check if she was really dead. _

_She rose, steeling herself, with the intention to return to her Mom's room. To her closet, to the shelf, to the right, home to the pistol her mother had kept around for protection._

"For me and my girls_," she'd said. She added "_baby_" later for Anthony. _

_Skye was only halfway there, in the hallway, when she was hit from behind. Paralyzing pain exploded along her neck and upper back, and the force of it sent her to the floor, where she landed on her front, knocking the breath out of her. _

_Her head was jerked back the next second, her hair seized in a painful grasp, her red, gasping face now close to Kai's __wrathful__ one, as he kneeled down in front of her, setting his bat aside for the moment. "Do you not understand the concept of running? You're supposed to go somewhere I _won't _find you. But, no, here you are at the first place I look."_

_She tried to say something, __opened__ her mouth. But only small whimpers escaped._

_"Huh? Speak up, I can't hear you," he taunted, tipping his ear in the direction of her mouth. _

_The line of his profile blurred, and finally, she forced out what she wanted to say."You're an evil bastard ... I'll gladly rot here if it means that you do too," she whispered._

_He stared at her, the rage simmering in his dark eyes__. _

_"Did I ever tell you I like it when you cry?" he asked, his finger catching the tear that trailed down her cheek. "Guess I haven't, probably figured it would be too weird. At least now, I'm not expected to comfort you. Make you feel better when I really just want to feed off your misery." He leaned back, releasing his grasp. "You know what? That is kind of the only great thing about this place - I don't have to pretend anymore." _

_She laid her cheek against the floor. His words caused the storm inside her to transform into a blizzard, the __chill sweeping through her colder than anything she'd ever encounter__._

_"You really shouldn't have ran, Skyler," he told her gravely before he stood, picking up the bat. _

_Now, she had taken the place of the desk in his dad's office, as he beat her repeatedly with the piece of sporting equipment turned deadly weapon._

_When she woke up again, surrounded by her own blood, muscle tissue, bones, and brain matter, but without real wounds of any kind marr__i__ng her unmarked and very much intact flesh, she knew for sure just then that she was right: this was hell. A personal one, with no hope of escape in any form, in which God - funny that she had never really confirmed her belief in him - was punishing her for loving a psychopath. _

* * *

"Uuugggghhhhh!"

It was a exclamation that described perfectly how Skye felt upon waking from another bout of forced unconsciousness. A pounding head was starting to become her normal state of mind. Being angry didn't seem like a natural response anymore.

A second later, she discovered she was wrong as she heard a familiar snicker.

She opened her eyes, blinking rapidly. A ceiling, white and clean, greet her. She turned her head, her nose brushed brown fabric. She was on a couch, she surmised. A very comfortable one, if the plushy cushions under her were anything to go by.

Turning her head the opposite way, she was met with a large, four pane window, framed with delicate, gauzy white curtains. Through the curtains, she could make out that It was dusk, the sky beyond pink and the light weak. Next, her eyes took in Kai's boots, his feet propped up on a coffee table stationed in front of the couch.

She sat up then groaned. The world spun wildly for a moment, and she clutched her hands to her face. Her fingers edged into her hair, which was damp.

_What the hell? _The rest of her, her clothes, were dry, however. Did he dip her head in water? Try to drown her? Wouldn't she have woken? She absolutely hated not knowing.

"Kai, you have really got to stop knocking me out," she said, her voice muffled and tired.

"But it's fun," he whined in objection.

"I'm probably concussed," she complained, retracting her hands. "I'm sure you know what repeated concussions cause, right? Brain damage - something I'd like to avoid, thanks."

She scanned her surroundings more carefully. It was a place she had never seen before - from the looks of this living room, it was a fancy house. Ornate fireplace next to the window, complete with a roaring fire,casting an orange glow on the polished hardwood floors, and an antique mirror hanging above. A large, flat device mounted on the wall- perhaps a television? Behind the couch, a table complete with an array of alcohol bottles and crystal decanters and glasses. It reminded her of the Salvatore Boarding House, in its degree of extravagance, except it's style and decor had a more modern elegance. She wondered briefly whose house it could be or where it was located, but didn't ask, remembering her promises. Wouldn't want to break it on something so trivial anyway.

Lastly, Kai lounged in an armchair beside the couch, eating a sandwich. A sight that made her own stomach growl.

Kai heard it, she could tell from his smirk. "Wanna a bite?" He offered the sandwich, all of it eaten except one corner. Skye, ignoring him, stood instead and, keeping a steadying hand on the couch, made her way around it, stopping before the table. Closely examining the bottles, she found the one she was looking for - her beloved whiskey. She filled a tumbler and sipped it, sighing out, avoiding his eyes on her.

"Alcohol's really gonna help with that concussion," Kai quipped, around the mouthful of his last bite.

"You're right," she conceded. "How about, instead, I toss it on you and set it aflame?"

"Ooo, an original threat," Kai cheered, pointing one finger at her. Leering, he smiled arrogantly. "I think I've been a good influence on you."

He stared at her for a long moment, the smile leaving his face. She held his gaze only briefly, before starting to feel discomforted. Her eyes fell to her glass on the table.

Soon, he stood and trekked around the couch.

She tensed, her fingers clutching her glass a little tighter.

"You know how I said we could discuss sex later?" he asked from behind her. He was only a few inches away, she could feel his proximity. Adrenaline made her body hum, with anticipation, trying to prepare for whatever attack he saw fit to unleash.

But, in the next second, when she had only just comprehended his words, his chest was already pressed against her back, his arms sliding around her waist, pinning one of her own to her side.

"Well, it's later," came the warm whisper in her ear. She was completely frozen, now.

She was not prepared for that.

Oh, but she knew what he was doing. Night was falling, and Kai Parker had met his quota of violence for the day, that meant he was ready to play in other ways. But she didn't want to be the toy.

He continued, despite her rigidity.

"See, I don't really think I can get behind skinny jeans for myself, but on you, babe..." The arm not pinning hers came down and his hand snaked into her front pocket, his fingers spreading out, filling it, splaying the fabric against her hip. Her stomach clenched.

"How long has it been, Skye? Months, right?" Pressing himself even closer, his hand then sought out the strip of bare skin that existed between the hem of her shirt and the top of her jeans, his fingers grazing. She jerked at the first contact, and he chuckled before he paused in his ministrations. "Hold on, I'm trying to remember what happened the last time we saw each other. You know, before my extended absence due to our little unexpected visitors." He went back to teasing ghost-like touches along her skin as he contemplated, dipping dangerously low past her jean's waistband at times but still careful to not stray too much further. His head drooped heavily onto her shoulder, face nestling into her neck.

Swallowing thickly, resisting the urge to lean into him, and willing her voice to be steady, Skye recalled the day. "Oh, you mean the last time? I think you tied me down, and burned me repeatedly with a Zippo? That time?"

She felt his smile against her neck, the curve of his lips. As long as he didn't include his teeth, she would be safe, she thought ... she hoped. "So before that last time was _the _last time, I assume?"

_Yes_. She remembered that encounter - it had been unsatisfying on her end because he'd been even more selfish that usual that day.

"You must be really frustrated then," Kai concluded, mock-sympathetic.

"Nope, just fine." Her voice cracked on 'fine,' however, because he had bit down lightly on the hollow between her neck and shoulder.

"It's healthy to vent your frustrations, babe," he assured. "I did earlier, when I cracked your face against a bar-top. Now, it's your turn."

But she tuned out his words, too focused on her body's response. She was tightly coiled, and it was _so _painful to resist. His next move was going to cause her to explode, she suspected. Or shatter the glass still in her grasp, her hold on it shaking with the force.

"Come on, we know you're always going to be attracted to me..." He strengthen his hold on her waist, and the evidence of his own attraction to her poked into her ass.

_God. _A throbbing heat pooled between her thighs. _No_.

She considered wrenching around and smashing the glass into his head, watch it fracture into bits, and embed themselves into his flush.

Suddenly, she moved to break away, but he pulled a counter-maneuver fast, grabbing up both of her arms and crossed them over her chest, restraining movement. She struggled futilely before going deadly still.

"Get. Off. Me." He didn't listen, wasn't alarmed.

"You know what's _unhealthy _in a relationship?" he asked. His tone was entirely different now. Gone was the soft, lilting, persuasive one replaced by a hard, humorless one. "Secrets. They're frustrating too, right?"

She waited. This was really what it had all been about.

"Care to share with the class why you had the sudden impulse to go to the library earlier today? At a very inconvenient time, I might add. And, sure, you have nerdy tendencies, but you're not that much of a nerd."

She waited a beat, and then laughed, lowly.

"Let me guess, your paranoia's telling you it had something to do with you," she said. "Well, it didn't so you can let me go."

He said nothing; she only felt his even breath on her neck.

Finally, she pitched herself forward, and he, surprising, actually let go of her on this attempt.

She faced him quickly. His face was now a mask of mocking.

"Wow, someone clearly wants to hold on to their frustration," he jeered, grabbing his own glass -martini - and a bottle of gin from the table. "Seems a little masochistic to me. But who am _I _to judge?"

Skye huffed, and grabbing her still full tumbler, left the room through the archway across from the fireplace, glad to sense that she wasn't being pursued.

It opened up to a foyer, complete with chandelier fixture and graceful staircase. She bypassed the stairs in favor of walking cautiously down the adjacent corridor, which led to a sophisticated kitchen - French doors revealing a sweeping porch and yard, bordered by a line of trees.

After battling her own morals and sense of decorum for a good five minutes - she had already helped herself to their liquor supply, was their food any different? Probably, but her stomach felt like it was trying to eat itself at this point - she finally made herself a sandwich, using the supplies Kai had carelessly left out on the granite counters.

After she finished eating, she traveled upstairs, but not before she peeked in on Kai, who still occupied the living room, sitting in the same armchair, in the dark like the true weirdo that he was, only illuminated by the fixture in the foyer. He saw her, and simply tipped his glass toward her. In answer, she turned and practically ran up the stairs, with the hope that doing so would also eliminate the wantonness she was still unfortunately experiencing.

The second floor of the house was expansive and beautifully decorated with paintings and expensive figurines.

As she passed by the mouth of the staircase again, headed in the opposite direction, the sound of glass breaking echoed up. Starting down the stairs hurriedly, she took in the sight, and her steps became slower.

Kai was locked in a confrontation with a stranger; he held a broken bottle, the sharp edge pressed against the new, dark-haired man's throat. The man was tense, in a defensive stance. Probably the owner of the house, and this was the moment where Kai killed him so they could squat at his fancy house.

Kai was talking, undoubtedly something threatening and disturbing, but she didn't bother listening to the words, too busy bracing herself to witness yet another death. Her mouth opened, she hoped to protest. Her feet started moving again, maybe to intervene. Another potential murder was definitely a good reason to start undermining Kai.

However, Kai pulled back completely, removing the bottle, surprising both her and the man in front of him.

"Feel like making a deal with the devil?" he asked the man, his face serious.

_What deal? _She regretted not being more attentive to his earlier words. Soon, his head tilted, appraising the still silent man in front of him with a predatory air, who appeared totally stymied.

"Could you be anymore cheesy and dramatic?" she blurted, taking more steps to reveal herself.

The man spun in her direction, utter confusion on his face while Kai simply smirked darkly up at her.

"Who is she?" the stranger demanded sharply. Skye stopped, three steps away from the bottom.

Kai swept his arm up to her. "Tyler Lockwood, meet Skyler, my girlfriend and partner in crime."

"It's Skye, and I'm not his girlfriend or partner in anything," she told Tyler. "In fact, I would say captive would a more appropriate term. Let's say 'Captive' is my official title "

"Please, we all know that you're the Veronica to my J.D.," Kai interjected.

"Oh, does that mean you're gonna blow yourself up in the end?" Skye countered, turning to him, falsely enthused. "Because I can get behind that."

The look Kai pinned her with in retaliation was stern, with the slightest hint of a warning. She only maintained her obstinately unaffected front. Tyler stared between the two of them, bewildered.

"Fine," Kai relented, sighing theatrically. "She's my relatively passive captive... with benefits." The last part was directed at her, with wagging eyebrows and a feral grin.

"You know what," Tyler said, backing up, raising his hands up in surrender."I'm sorry I asked."

He reached down and lifted a duffel bag that had been resting at his feet -probably dropped in the shuffle. Eyeing Kai suspiciously, Tyler gave him and the remnants of the bottle still dangling from his right hand a wide berth, walking into the living room. Kai grinned, but he stayed where he was, his attention now on her.

Skye finished her descent finally and made to move past him, to follow Tyler into the living room, but Kai quickly stepped in front of her. She darted to go the other way, but he matched her movement.

"Nu-uh, babe," he rebuked. "See, I'm suddenly in a secretive mood. Why don't you go do something girly? Like paint your fingernails. I'm sure there's some laying around somewhere." He turned her by her shoulder, with his free hand, and guided her, with the same hand now on her back , to the foot of the stairs. "Remember, I'm partial to red."

Turning around, she scowled back at him. "I'm going to overlook how incredibly sexist that was. Not even the nail polish comment, but the fact that you even think I would take your color preference into account, you asshole."

He shifted, the bottle now rested against his hip, the jagged edge pointed out, ready to stab. It was a reminder.

He wasn't going allow her in on this deal, whatever it was. She wasn't surprised. But she was disappointed.

She crossed her arms. "Fine."

She looked to Tyler, who had stood by the coffee table, watching their exchange. His face was inscrutable, but turned wary when she settled her gaze on him.

"Can I use one of your showers?" she asked, wanting to be polite. Even though she had already raided his fridge, liquor supply, and snooped around upstairs.

Kai snorted at her question, probably also recognizing the sheer mootness.

"Uh, I guess," he said unsurely. It was almost like he had expected her to say something completely different. "There's an empty room with a bathroom, second door on your left from the top of the stairs."

She smiled her thanks at him, before she began her ascent. She missed Kai's grip on the bottle tightening, his knuckles going white.

"So you have a way to save Liv's life?" Tyler asked Kai once she was halfway up, his tone now business-like. Skye could hear an edge of hope in his voice though.

She began musing as she reached the top of the stairs: So Kai wanted to save a life; that was certainly new. _Liv_. That couldn't be who she thought it was, was it? _Olivia? _

It was possible -anything was possible, she had been learning as much over the course of the last 18 years- but it didn't seem very probable. And what would be her connection to Tyler, the apparent rich boy? Also, she had no clue where they could be now - no inkling. It could be a completely new town, or, hell, new state.

It was so very exhausting and frustrating. She just wanted to sleep; a desire only magnified by the queen sized bed she found in the room Tyler had directed her to. And maybe not wake up this time. She switched on a lamp, on a table, beside the bed, to see more clearly in the semi-darkness. The room's decor resembled the decoration of the rest of the house.

Skye went into the bathroom, locking it behind her; she was automatically confronted by a large mirror. In which, she observed that she had several band-aids on her forehead, three stacked on top of each other, angled diagonally. She peeled them away carefully and only sighed when she saw the cut underneath. She reached up and was able to now note the bluish-purple outline of a hand on the inside of her wrists.

The cut was tender and caused her to hiss as she touched it gingerly. She shook her head.

She stripped quickly and fiddled awkwardly with the shower's modern and frankly bizarre to her faucet. Several minutes passed before she was even able to get any water to come out, and the water that did was scalding.

However, she welcomed it, the burn against her skin. She spent an inordinate amount of time in the shower, long after it had gone cold.

When she stepped out, she resented the fact that had suddenly dawned on her; she had no clean clothes to change into and she loathed the thought of putting on the clothes that littered the floor again. The underwear, especially, since that set had been given to her in the prison world what seemed like forever ago. She had actually had no idea of how many days had passed.

She secured a towel around herself, leaving her dripping hair to airdry, and stepped out of the bathroom only to be met with Kai's form sprawled on the bed, his arms propped behind his head, his eyes closed. He had lost his jacket and pants somewhere along the way, just laid there in his black boxers and shirt.

She almost backed up into the bathroom, deciding to take her chances with the dirty clothes, before she spotted the fabric beside his bare feet. A pile of clothes, a brightly colored pair of of presumably clean panties sat on top, enticing her.

"I thought you were supposed to be unpredictable," she said finally, coming to stand by the clothes. He opened his eyes at the sound of her voice, went to open his mouth, but nothing came out as he regarded her. His gaze quickly became half-lidded, and he sat up a little straighter, leaning against the headboard. But she was inclined on ignoring him. A part of her delighted in the attention, in taunting him in this way, especially after what he pulled downstairs earlier.

"Where did you get these?" she asked, holding up the girl's underwear before she pulled them on swiftly, under the cover of her towel.

"They're my sister's. Normally, I wouldn't relish touching my sister's big-girl underwear." Skye didn't particularly relish wearing his sister's underwear, but she had limited options. "But it's starting to seem like I'd do anything for you," he finished his declaration with a closed-mouth smile, strangely sweet in appearance. But the glimmer in his eyes was anything but sweet - more disarming, so she tramped down her wish to express a denial to his words, and looked down at the rest of the clothes. A pair of gray shorts that resembled men's boxers, though they had no slit. She put them on too in the same manner as the underwear.

"So Liv is actually Olivia?" She guessed she needed to work on her computing of probabilities. Nothing was coincidence, apparently.

"Yep, little Olivia is Big Liv now. Wild hair, rocker style, doesn't look anything like me, but her attitude kinda reminded me of a young me. You know, abrasive. You would probably like her." She was glad he had returned to his usual light, casual tone.

"And Tyler?"

He stared at her for a long moment, blankly. Trying to decide what exactly to tell her. Finally, he broke. "Her boyfriend, hell-bent on saving her from the Merge. It's touching, truly," he gushed, sarcastically, putting his hand to his chest before he dropped it. "God, if I ever act like that, you have permission to shoot me straight in the face."

She gritted her teeth. "I think you're safe."

Even with his helpful description, she couldn't imagine the girl any older than four years old. Certainly couldn't imagine her with a boyfriend. Couldn't imagine anything but her and her twin running from the man occupying the bed in front her.

She forced those images out her mind and picked up the shirt. A long, yellow tank top. She turned around this time to slide the new garment on, pulling the towel out from under it carefully - which she then used to wrap her hair up in.

She sat down on the bench of the vanity, facing Kai, who pouted back at her like he was disappointed she hadn't flashed him.

"So are you gonna come up with some lame excuse for why you have to sleep in the same bed with me in a mansion that has like 8 other empty bedrooms?" Because she was sure that was his intention, with his loss of clothes. She pulled the towel from her hair, wringing her hair out one more time with it before she set it aside. She began finger-combing her hair, an action that only seemed to cause more tangles.

"No, I'll tell you the truth." He watched her closely.

"Wow," she said, feigning a shocked tone.

"I want to make sure you're not dumb enough to sneak out," he admitted, earnestly. Skye hoped he was secretly joking.

"I thought we discussed how absolutely futile it would be, Mal," she said, exasperated.

She didn't even know where they were! It would be _very _dumb to sneak out, not knowing any information. But, as she reflected on their host, maybe she could soon learn some more, if he was embroiled in this mess.

"Good that you remembered, but don't get any other, potentially idiotic ideas," he warned. "I already threatened wolf boy."

"Wolf boy?"

"Tyler's a werewolf. Surprise!" he exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air. "They're real too. Though, his curse isn't activated. Or it was activated, but then something stupid happened." He frowned. "I honestly don't know. I stopped listening."

Shaking her head, she huffed, her brows furrowing.

"What?" he demanded.

"Of all the things to be in the world, I was an average human. How fun." It seemed unfair, especially considering the seeming prevalence of the supernaturals in the world.

"Well, while you would be more useful to me as a witch," he said, pursing his lips. "Be grateful. Supernaturals' lives are constantly fraught with danger and dumb rules."

"It's not like I'm not in constant danger now, anyway."

"How?" he asked, genuinely curious.

Giving him a pointed look, she let out a disbelieving guffaw.

"Oh, right." He fell quiet after that and slid back down, to lay flat on his back. His head was angled on a pillow, however, his line of vision still including her.

Averting her gaze, she ran her hands through her hair several more times, stalling, dreading the inevitable - when she'd have to crawl into bed next to Kai.

He seemed to have discerned that too, as she peeked up and caught him smirking. He pushed himself under the blankets and sheets, shoving all the small, decorative pillows from his side onto the other side.

He reached up and switched off the lamp on the bedside table, plunging the room into complete darkness only offset by the moonlight shining in from the window; it was a cue.

Skye walked to the bed quietly. Slipping under the covers of the left side, she perched on the edge. The pillows, at least four or five of them and gray pin-striped, sat intrusively on her side. Eyeing them, she glanced to the side, observed the considerable space between her and Kai. She set to work, forming a much needed barrier between them. Once a figurative line and literal line had been drawn, she laid down, facing it, drawing her legs up to her chest, in a fetal position.

Almost instantly, the pillows began flying as Kai picked each up, one by one, and threw them onto the floor on the other side.

She flipped around in disgust, before he had even finished.

It was only when she finally settled, her back to him, stretched out on the very edge of the bed, that he spoke again. "You don't have to worry about me being a danger anymore," he said softly, his tone reassuring. She felt the bed shift, and she grew tense as he hovered over from behind. "At least, toward you." She felt his fingers smoothing back her hair and something warm on her cheek, his lips.

She was relieved as she felt him pull away, not back to his original place, actually much closer to her, but he kept his limbs away from her - that at least she could muster a small amount of appreciation for.

But she didn't believe him, recalling the the cut on her head (that he had just brushed his fingers against, sending it stinging), and the bruises on her wrists she'd sustained just that day from him.

_A/N: So a lot of you guys requested a flashback for Skye's initial reaction to the prison world/ Kai's first time killing her so here it is. I tried to make the present timeline a little lighter for you guys, but now I feel like a tease, lol. I'm sorry I haven't been making much progress, episode-wise, but I feel it's necessary. Believe me, I've very ready to get on with the next few episodes because they've been developed longer than all of these previous ones (some parts are already written out, I can tease a make out scene, for the next chapter actually, and sex scene, to come a little later, because those are my __priorities__ guys, ha!). _

_Thank you all so much for the great response to the last chapter!_

_RHatch89: Thank you!_

_TetraGirl: Thanks for the review! This chapter's not as long, lol. Sorry for the wait, but I hope you liked this chapter!_

_sayorii: Thanks so much! It's so cool that you speak Hungarian. I'm really glad you enjoy the story so much and left such an in-depth review; it really helps me. I hope you're having a nice summer, and that you enjoyed this chapter as much as the last._

_YoCupcake: Thank you so much! As for your question, Kai is still definitely going to gain Luke's empathy; I don't think I could support Kai's and Skye's relationship if he'd never tried to __apologize__ to her / understand the effect he's had on her emotionally. Thanks for your understanding with the smut issue, lol. I've decided to venture out into it a bit because why not? I hope you liked this chapter. Also, I did finally write a Bonkai fic - if you're interested, it's on under my username. I need to catch up on the piece you put on Tumblr (can't wait to catch up!). _

_WickedlyMinx: Yes, he did link his life to Skye's, for reasons that will be revealed the chapter after next. _

_LovelyFandomLover: Thanks for your review! I'm glad you like Skye so much, she needs the love. _

_LizzyB: Thanks for the review and continued support! I do agree that Kai deserves some type of revenge, but just on his father (which he will get in this story in a much more satisfactory way, in my opinion ; ) ). Sorry the update wasn't sooner, but I hope you like it anyway. _

_XxMikealsonForeverxX: Thank you! I understand, thanks for doing so!_

_Livhardy: Thanks for the review! I made a note, to write more from Kai's P.O.V. - it's a scary place, but I'm up to the challenge. Sorry I couldn't update sooner, but I hope you still like it.. _

_Princely Archer: Thanks so much! Yes, he did bind their lives, his reasons will be revealed and the effects of it of course. You're absolutely eloquent - thanks for saying anything at all! Hope you enjoyed it!_

_julieakaweirdo: Glad you're not angry, lol, and thank you! Sorry it takes so long, but life gets in the way. _

_GITANJALEE123: Thank you! Here it is!_

_PrincessMagic: Your review made me think of McDonald's, but thank you, lol!_

_Female whovian: Lol, I'm in the same boat where it concerns Kai - creeped out, but also turned on? Thanks for the review, I hope you like this chapter!_

_sarahmichellegellarfan1: Thank you! The hate-sex will probably show up sometime in one of the flashbacks, ; ). _

_Half-Cactus: Thank you! I think I'm gonna try and explore his perspective more. _

_Cassie: Thanks so much! I hope you liked this update!_

_Friday1221: Thank you! As for the whole Bamon thing, it might be something I'll hint towards, but I don't know if I will explore into too much detail. Honestly, though, anything's possible in between now and then. : ) _

_whitecarousel: Wow, thanks so much! I completely agree with you about Kai - it's actually going to be something he __acknowledges__ himself in an upcoming flashback. I tried to slip in a "vulnerable / affectionate" moment in the present, but I don't know if it's all that obvious. The problem with it is that Kai can say anything, but Skye will never believe he's sincere. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed!_

_Khari: Omg, your reviews nearly make me cry! You really are too kind. I'm going to follow the main points for most of the rest of the episodes then partway through 6x17, I'm gonna deviate completely, at least where Kai's storyline is concerned, and create my own, and in my opinion, better ending. So I'm glad to know that you'll be there for it! I hope you enjoy this chapter just as much!_

_Guest 1: I'm so sorry! Life gets in the way too much, but here it is! _

_Guest 2: (Are you the same person?) I'm sorry, but here it is!_

_Kelly1432: I wish I was a writer for the show, then things would be the way I actually want them to be, and I wouldn't have to write fanfiction to vent my frustrations, lol. But thank you so much for the compliments! As for Skye and Damon moments, I already have a few written, though the first won't come till the chapter after next - hope you can wait! That's also the chapter where the linking will be revealed. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter. _

_PhanPhicAddict: Thanks so much! "I love how he keeps going, well I could just kill her, oh she smiled at me maybe not" - that made me crack up so much. Yes, you are very much correct in your insight. That's exactly how I view Kai. __Incidentally__, I think in the fourth chapter, I had Skye mention the self-fulfilling prophecy because that's how she views it too. Sorry this update wasn't too soon, but I hope you liked it anyway. _

_Sweet Summer Sunset: Thank you so much for the review! I love that you love Skye, and appreciate how I try to give her agency. We'll see more of her undermining him in the next chapter and the ones to come. I'm glad I can give you that shot of Kai-love, lol. _


	12. Chapter 12

Set before and during 6x10, "Christmas Through Your Eyes"

_Trouble – it will find you_

_No matter where you go_

_No matter if you're fast_

_No matter if you're slow_

_You're fine for a while_

_But you start to lose control_

_He's there in the dark_

_He's there in my heart_

_He waits in the wings_

_He's gotta play a part_

_Trouble is a friend_

_Trouble is a friend of mine_

_Trouble is a friend_

_But trouble is a foe_

_And no matter what I feed him_

_He always seems to grow_

_He sees what I see_

_And he knows what I know_

_So don't forget_

_As you ease on down my road_

_So don't be alarmed_

_If he takes you by the arm_

_I won't let him win_

_But I'm a sucker for his charm_

_How I hate the way he makes me feel_

_And how I try to make him leave_

_I try_

"_Trouble is a Friend" - Lenka_

Chapter 12 - He's There in the Dark

**Warning: violence and sexual content**

_May 10, 1994_

_They were three years into their incarceration when Skye finally decided to go on the offensive against Kai. _

_She had taken a pretty lax route, though. She didn't seek him out. Instead, she decided she would wait it out until he inevitably showed up at the cabin she was currently squatting in, bored and ready to play, usually in one of two depraved ways. He had an unerring ability to sniff her out, no matter where she was. Skye only wished she had the ability to figure out his patterns of moods so she knew what to expect when he did show up._

_But show up he would, unannounced and unceremoniously. _

_So when she came around the corner into the kitchen that morning to see his lanky figure standing at the rickety table, she wasn't surprised. In fact, a part of her - the part tired of the awful suspense - was relieved. _

_She watched silently as he ran a long finger down the page of a book she had lain open there - a psychology text, the heavily highlighted section on personality disorders prominently displayed. His back was to her so she didn't noticed the curve of his mouth as he smirked._

_"Been trying to understand me?" he asked. She certainly heard the mocking quality of his tone. _

_In the time she spent waiting for him, she had taken to sitting at the kitchen table night after night and extensively studying those textbooks she had picked up at one of Harvard's libraries in Cambridge on her way to the countryside outside Toronto. And there were several on Psychology scattered across the tabletop, but also some on Criminology and Sociology. _

_She paid particular attention to the sections on Antisocial Personality Disorder, on the mentions of psychopathy and sociopathy. Skye concentrated on the signs, on the opinions of many professionals and was able to discern pretty quickly that Kai exhibited more than a few traits they all agreed on._

_Each night, she would have to walk away to calm herself, her findings causing her blood to boil - with regret, humiliation, despair, but mostly rage. However, it was directed at herself for allowing herself to get duped so easily. _

_Sure, she hadn't been entirely ignorant to his quirks. There were plenty of moments when she had had her doubts about Kai in their year and a half long relationship, but most seemed petty in hindsight. The only real concern she ever had was his lack of expression in regards to his love for her, but it proved the most telling. _

_He never told her because he never felt it._

_At least, she could be comforted by the fact that he never tried to lie straight to her face about it. And to be fair, she never broached the subject herself. She had loved him, probably still did in some twisted, co-dependent Stockholm-ish way, but she had never told him that either. Something unknown, but powerful, had held her back. Perhaps her subconscious or intuition had sensed something was off and prevented the impulse. Now, nothing was holding her back. _

_Later, Skye would wonder if maybe she had just refused to listen to her inhibitions, but at that present point in time, she had already blown out one of his knees from behind with a five iron. Releasing a pained shout, his leg buckled, and he fell back on the floor._

_Kai looked stunned, though only momentarily, as he stared up at her. Then a grin split his face, and he laughed, unrestrained. _

_Skye scoffed, stepping closer until she was at his feet. "You're the only person I know that would cackle like a hyena after getting hit with a golf club." She tossed the club aside; it landed on the table with a clatter._

_"Aren't I technically the only person you know anyway?" he pointed out, feigning perplexity._

_She rolled her eyes and reached behind her back. From her waistband, she pulled the Glock 9 millimeter she had been hiding there for the last week. She clicked off the safety with her thumb. "I picked this up from one of the precincts in New York City when I passed through it," she informed him. _

_His eyes narrowed and shone with derision. "You don't know how to use that." _

_He sounded so smugly certain, but she wasn't perturbed. No, she was completely confident as she responded, "Wanna bet?"_

_She aimed straight up and squeezed the trigger. Three shots rang out loudly as they punctured the ceiling above. Fine sawdust rained down, but it barely coated them. _

_"Congratulations, you picked the biggest and easiest target in the room," Kai quipped, leaning up on his elbows. _

_The next bullet whirled by his right ear before it splintered the floor. He winced immediately, bringing his hand to ear. After the ringing subsided, he gave her an aggravated look. _

_"Let me guess, you were aiming for my head?" _

_"No, your ego. Figured it was the second biggest target in this room," she said. "If I had wanted to shoot you in the head just then, your brains would already be splattered on the floor." _

_"Somehow I doubt it," he said. _

_It was her turn to smirk. "There's a lot you don't know about me, Kai." _

_She crouched down by his side, balancing the gun on her knee._

_He watched her carefully, assessing. _

_Quickly, she rammed the barrel of the gun down on his busted knee. He hissed, instinctively reaching out with his hands to the injury._

_"My mom kept a pistol in her closet. You know, for our own protection and such. No man to be found in our house," Skye explained, settling down on the floor to sit cross-legged, while she kept the weapon fixed on his glowering face. "She insisted my sister and I take Gun Safety Lessons. First time I ever fired, I hit the target dead on."_

_She smiled, nostalgic for that moment. She had felt such a surge of power; it had frightened her at first, she had begged to quit her lessons. But as her mother refused to accommodate her and she continued; she realized it was an addiction she could manage. Her interest in guns had wavered by the time she reached college, but she had never forgotten the feeling of the cold metal in her hands and the surge. _

_"Of course, that was a one off, but I kept practicing. I became a pretty good shot. I also learned a little about guns then. But that was when I was in highschool. I've gotten a little rusty since then, but I've had all this free time lately to re-familiarize myself." _

_This time, she directed her smile at him and held the gun at her eye level. "You know what I love about 9 mils, Mal? They're semi-automatic, just one squeeze of the trigger is all it takes, really." _

_He had stopped glaring, his expression more guarded. But she could see there was something, however, shinning his eyes that wasn't easily recognizable at first. Slowly, she realized what it was - a mixture of surprise, only slight, and a familiar glimmer that usually accompanied his lustful looks. _

_"Well, color me impressed and a little turned on," he drawled smoothly. She didn't back down from his smoldering gaze. This gun was causing a lot of courage, it seemed. _

_"Good," she told him, nonchalantly. "Now I'm gonna tell you all I've ever needed to know about you."_

_"Oh really?" he muttered disinterestedly. Like he didn't believe it - that she could make such a claim. _

_Slowly, she rose to her knees, keeping the gun front and center, aware of the weight of his gaze._

_She swung one of her legs over his waist, coming to settle on him in a straddle. He strained to sit up, his hands eagerly grasping her waist, but she pushed one shoulder down harshly until his back slapped down against the tile floor, his hands breaking away with the force. _

_Skye's other hand forcibly pressed the gun against Kai's sternum. _

_She leaned over him, grinning. A grin she knew had the potential to rival his maniacal one. "If I had known how fun this was going to be, I would've done it a long time ago," she teased him, before she turned contemplative. "Now, remind me again how we ended up in this god-forsaken place."_

_When one brow lifted, Skye could tell Kai didn't know how to take her command, wasn't sure where she was headed with it. So he remained silent, but that was fine. She perfectly remembered his reluctant, hostile explanation and that wasn't really what she wanted in the first place._

_"Oh yeah, I remember," she taunted, striving to adopt the same tone Kai always used with her, the one that unfailingly sent her shuddering. "Because you're a greedy, selfish dick." _

_Then she snorted, because she was proud of herself for her accurate conclusion. That's really all it simplified down to. _

_Kai, however, didn't seem as amused as his eyes narrowed once again, this time into menacing slits. She only grinned wider. His lip curled, and in the next second, his hands flew up, ready to strike or grab, but she blocked one quickly, pinning his wrist against the floor, the movement bringing her face closer to his, causing his other hand to miss their target. She shifted the gun with her other hand in the same moment, jamming it against his ribs. There's where his unpinned hand landed, on her wrist, restraining. _

_"No, I get it," she said once she was certain he was subdued once again, laughter in her voice. Her lips were only a few inches from his, tempestuous blue-gray eyes boring into hers. "You wanted power, magic, because it's something you can actually feel, right? Something other than all that emptiness?" His eyes tightened, almost imperceptibly, the thrill that swept through her at the sight was unadulteratedly perverse, but she relished in it. "You wanna fill it, right? So you try desperately," she continued, mock-sympathetic. "With food..." She had moved the gun, his hand falling away idly, to brush against his stomach before she brought the object between them, caressing his jaw line with the butt of it. "With attention..." Kai's eyes followed her actions closely, heatedly - probably more from anger at this point. _

_Next, gun angled at his throat, she lowered herself, ground her hips against his, for a few deliciously painful, friction-filled seconds. He jerked, then a strangled noise of pain escaped; he had bent his mangled knee. Chuckling, she raised back up to her original position, but she bent her head lower. "With distraction," she breathed against his mouth. She leaned back, her eyes focusing on the gun as she placed it back over his sternum, directly next to his heart."But it's never enough. It's almost kinda sad." She frowned, completing the act of her false sympathy before the corners of her mouth tugged-up in a self-satisfied smile, eager to meet Kai's gaze, wanting see the intended sheepish ire there. _

_However, his immediate response - a lick of the lips and intense eyes - incited a slight deflation within her, and she unconsciously loosened her hold on his wrist. He took advantage of her lapse in concentration, of course. _

_Swiftly sitting up, his hands grabbed her hips roughly, fingers digging in her skin, bringing her down into his lap, where she could feel his true feelings for her display against the inside of her thigh. She gasped, but kept a firm grip on the gun, maintaining her lock on the target, though her mind was whirling. _

_And there was his maniacal grin making an unanticipated appearance. "You know I've been waiting a long time for this." His arm wrapped tightly around her waist, bringing her in closer to his body, seeming almost completely oblivious to the gun she held between them, now aimed more to the left, pointing at his heart. _

_His hand went up to her face, cupped her cheek, his fingers tangling in her hair. Pulling her face in until their noses brushed, he chuckled. "You know, for you to finally snap." He closed his eyes, inhaled deeply, while she watched him, puzzled, her own breathing becoming unsteady. _

Just pull the trigger.

_"God, it's even more glorious that I imagined," Kai whispered, eyes opening. In them, she observed a warmth, a kind of disturbing fondness that had her feeling cold inside. "I knew you had it in you, babe..." he continued lowly, his thumbnail pinching the skin under her eye, "To be that vicious." _

Why aren't you pulling the trigger?

_Skye attempted to turn her head, shy away from him, but he wouldn't allow it. _

_"Oh, and the gun thing. Gotta admit - didn't see that coming." His voice turned husky. "It was sexy, though." _

_And she hadn't seen this coming, _this _reaction; she had wanted his cold fury, his snarls, dead eyes. She wanted to feel powerful in the knowledge that she had gotten to him, played on his insecurities, made him feel even the tiny least bit defenseless. But he looked ready to jump her bones instead. _

_A flash of white-hot anger burst out, and she ripped his hand away from her face, crushed it in her grip, twisting his fingers back. _

_"Is that sexy too?" she gritted out, while his teeth clenched, his face instantly ferocious. After one second, he broke her hold, his features relaxing. _

_"Damn," he whistled, smiling proudly. "Glorious." _

_The stupid smile only reinforced her resolve, and she returned the hand back to gun. She needed both hands on it, to keep it steady, as she prepared to unload the rest of the rounds. She glared at him, but his expression hadn't changed._

_His eyes were knowing; he assumes she will enjoy riddling his heart with bullets. _

_She squeezed the trigger five more times, the shots ringing out loud in the perpetual and otherworldly quietness of the Prison World. _

_However, any bravado she had felt during the exchange - that marked her first offensive - instantly evaporated when he slumped against her, his arms falling from her, his face slackening. _

_"Kai -" _

_She caught him then laid him gently on the floor. Blood was gushing from the gaping wound in his chest - almost black, dripping on the tile. _

_"No," she whispered. "Kai?" _

_He was so still. She moved until she was bent over him. His eyes were open, focused on nothing. _

_"Oh my god." Her hand covered her mouth. She actually done it - she had killed him. _

_An uncomfortable tightness filled her throat. Desperately trying to swallow it, she started beating his torso. _

_"No - no! Kai!" _

_He had to be playing her. She knew it - if she had really killed him, she didn't want to consider the implications of it. _

_Her punches got weaker, as he remained unmoving. _

_Ultimately, all she ended up with was shaking, bloody fists, and body-shuddering sobs. Soon, her head fell on his abdomen, and she released all the grief and rage. _

_One question kept swimming in the forefront of her mind, fighting her tumultuous emotions - how did he enjoy this? She thought she had been enjoying it in the beginning, but now... she felt ill, much like she had the night of the real May 10th, 1994. _

_As she calmed, her next impulse was to destroy the evidence of her act. She left his body and went to shower. _

_Only minutes later, the curtain flapped opened as he joined her. She held her back to him and stayed rigid, defensive, under the warm spray of water, unsure what to expect. He came up behind her. "That was quite an experience, babe," he said simply, his voice free of any aggression she might've expected. "Now you got to make it up to me." _

_Strangely, she wanted to, so she didn't fight him when he pulled her back against his healed chest, his hand already squeezing one bare breast. _

* * *

Oh, Skye was in trouble.

It related to the position she found herself in when she became aware that next morning - one that was an old habit for her, unfortunately. The steady heartbeat thumping in her ear (the only real and consistent confirmation for her that he even had one), the strong arms locked together around her shoulders, her own numb arms wound around his torso, one of her leg nestled in between his.

When she tried to shift, he clamped down. So he was obviously awake.

"Kai," she cautioned, breaking the peaceful quiet.

She felt the rumble of his chuckle, more than she heard it.

She had been in this position enough times, didn't even have to open her eyes, to know exactly the way in which he was peering down at her. She had used to think that his eyes were depthless, unfathomable because they held too many emotions, all wanting to express themselves so much simultaneously. Now, she realized his eyes, in those moments, were just plain empty. That gaze, what she called the "shark gaze" now, the "imagining-all-the-ways-he-could-kill-her" gaze, was just plain scary.

"Kai..." she tried again.

"Shh..."

His hold grew impossibly tighter, vice-like. She wondered if this is was how the prey of Boa Constrictors felt right before the kill - a type of security that seemed all too ephemeral and deceptive.

The dreadful anticipation set in, but then he loosened his arms. Her hair lifted from her neck as he gathered it in his fist and pulled it to the side. His other hand drifted to her shoulder, rubbed at the raised edges of her tattoo rhythmically - for once, causing pleasant chills down her spine. The pad of his thumb soon found her bottom lip, brushing against it, then outlining the shape of her mouth.

She was on the cusp of sleep again, finding the repeated motions relaxing, when it happened and her eyes popped open...

He had shifted forward a bit ... his lips found her forehead, then temple, skimming down to the top her ear, where his teeth joined.

He began nibbling, lightly, down the curve to the lobe.

She hadn't taken a breathe once during this particular exploration. The one she took in next was ragged.

"Kai, s-stop..." She had stuttered when he laughed in her ear. But then he did stop.

And, in the next second, her back was against the bed, his warmth gone.

Dazed, her gaze darted around, only to land on him as he stood up from the bed.

He kept his back to her as he walked to the bathroom. "You should go back to sleep, babe," he suggested, dismissive, before he closed the door.

She shook her head and sighed, but as she took in the gray light outside the window, she decided to heed his advice. Skye didn't even hear him leave thirty minutes later.

* * *

Bright sunshine assaulted her eyes when she finally woke again, this time cold and alone. She wasn't surprised, however, only apprehensive, thinking about what havoc he was possibly wreaking elsewhere.

Slowly, she made her way out of bed and downstairs, walking down the corridor that led to the kitchen only to run into Tyler.

He grimaced, and worked to sidestep her, hurrying down the hall.

"Wait, Tyler!" she called, following.

He stopped a foot from the front door, and after a long second, turned reluctantly."Kai doesn't want me talking to you."

She crossed her arms over her chest, suddenly feeling self-conscious about her attire. "You're really scared of him?" she asked. Objectively, she eyed his biceps, bulging under the sleeves of his T-shirt. Kai would have the height advantage, but she figured Tyler probably possessed the brute strength between the two of them. And, oh yeah, the added benefit of being a _freaking werewolf_. "I feel like you could take him."

"Look, the guy is clearly insane," he said. Then he added, seemingly hesitant, "And I'm not all that sure you aren't."

She bristled."I'm not insane," she said, vehemently. "I just have very few options."

He stayed silent, looking like he wanted to be anywhere but there in that moment.

"Can I at least ask what town we're in?" she tried, softening her tone.

He stared back, expressionless.

God, she had wanted him to be a bit more forth-coming. But it seemed like Kai had found a perfect taciturn person to conspire with. She stood straighter, staring him down right back.

Finally, he caved, perhaps after he realized she wasn't backing down. "Mystic Falls."

There was that hope again, blossoming in her chest, and she moved forward, over-excited.

"Do you know Damon Salvatore?" she burst out, the words escaping without more forethought.

She actually registered surprise in his expression, in the way his eyebrows moved. "Yes," he said stiffly.

"Could you get a message to him for me?" she asked. She tried to keep her eyes locked with his, hers pleading. She reckoned asking for anything beyond that would be pushing it.

"I can't. I'm sorry." This time, she did sense a bit of genuine regret to be found in his apology, though it wasn't very delicate one.

"But it's about Bonnie Bennett, do you know her?" She was getting desperate, and she was happy to see the name caused a reaction because regret was more visible in his expression.

"She's my friend," he admitted quietly. "She's the reason I'm alive today."

Skye felt a bit of anger bubble up in her. If he was her friend, what the hell was he doing working with Kai? "Then all the more reason to help me," she insisted.

His inscrutable mask went back up. "I can't. If I do, then Liv dies. I'm just trying to keep my girlfriend alive."

"And that's commendable, really," she said, offhandedly before her tone turned earnest. "But Bonnie is trapped in a different world, completely alone. Believe me, I was trapped there for twenty years with Kai, and I still preferred his company anytime over being by myself for any length of time. I can't imagine the effect the place's going to have on her. So I understand your wanting to save Olivia's life, but I also happen to think that Bonnie's well-being is important too."

His determined facade of indifferent faltered for a moment, indecision clearly shining in his eyes.

But it was gone the next moment. "I'm sorry."

She took a deep breath, feeling the sting of disappointment. They had obviously reached an impasse.

He turned again, towards the door, reaching for a black duffel bag already set there.

She halted him with another, "Wait," but this time, her question was more trivial, prompted by practically: "Do you mind if I use whatever machine you have now to do laundry?"

* * *

Kai drove the forty-five minutes back to Whitmore, in the same car he had stolen from its campus. He knew he needed to ditch it soon, but he had a few errands to run.

The first place he stopped was a strip mall, going straight to the retail store whose storefront screamed "young" and "trendy." There, he brought more clothes for himself and Skye. He found clothes he liked easily enough - all dark colored, with interesting graphic designs. Light, stylish jackets. Some more damn skinny jeans because he wasn't sure about the other cuts.

The sales associate this time was much shorter and smaller than Skye - practically the size of a child, he noted with disgust - so he had to gauge Skye's size himself. It was fine though, he just held up his hands, to mime the circumference of her hips, a measurement he knew well from all the times he had held them, and compared that against the waist of the skinny jeans. He was definitely a big fan of those on her.

He was also a big fan of all the skimpy and sheer blouses that seemed so prevalent in this decade's style. He alternated between two different sizes - medium and large - for them, just in case. A few casual dresses, he remembered how she liked to wear them back in the day, though all of the selection's hem lines seemed shorter than what he remembered from the '90s. Nevertheless, he approved.

As he surveyed the underwear, he was completely lost. Luckily, a different, bustier sales associate came to help, then, after his fabricated explanation about wanting a special gift for an upcoming anniversary, gushed about how cute it was that he was shopping for his girlfriend and said, "Oh, I think my boyfriend could learn a thing or two from you."

Kai only managed to resist an eye roll at the last second, and the urge to strangle her with her own lanyard.

Once he finished with his business there, he got back in the car and drove to a low-traffic country road, not far outside of the city limits of Whitmore. He didn't want a lot of witnesses for what he had planned next, but he still needed at least one participant.

Now, he stood at the front of the car on the shoulder of the road, the hood open. He tinkered with the insides carelessly, ripping wires out.

The first car that stopped was a sedan - red, new, and shiny. It's driver, he saw once she stepped out of the car and walked to his, a pretty, young blonde with wide blue eyes, naive smile in place. Kai smiled back easily, gratefully - the same charming grin that he always used for bait.

It really couldn't have been more perfect.

"Having trouble?" she asked, coming to a stop at the side of the car, her hip leaning against the side-view mirror. "I have jumper cables in my truck if you need them."

"Those would be useful," he said, striving for playful, like he was trying to make the best of a frustrating situation. "If the battery was the problem."

She came around to his side, to glance down at the engine, the mechanical mess. She stared for a moment at the frayed wires, then turned to him. "Yeah, I actually don't know a lot about cars, except how to jump start, so I couldn't tell you what was wrong."

He laughed, and it was half-genuine. The girl's words reminded him of Skye for some reason. "It's okay. I would've called for a tow except I forgot my cell phone at home."

"Oh, you can use mine," she said instantly, half-turning, started for her car.

He grabbed her wrist, and she stilled, looking at him, confused.

"I'm Kai, by the way," he said, keeping the grip relaxed.

It didn't matter if she knew his name.

She smiled coyly, "Katie."

The smile faltered when he tightened his grip, it disappeared altogether when he struck, slashing the tip of the butterfly knife he had picked up at Portland's mall, across her stomach. She screamed immediately.

He couldn't help but notice the moment was eerily similar to the earlier fantasies he had entertained about Skye - as he kept slashing and Katie kept screaming, his face pinched in annoyance because he didn't like how loud and high-pitched it was - all those years ago when he had simply wanted to kill Skye, before he got to know her. Just coming up to her and stabbing, except he wasn't exactly stabbing this girl, Katie. He couldn't, he needed her to stay alive for awhile.

Skye had never been a screamer, and he liked that about her. The only sounds she let escape her mouth during their sessions were controlled, half-strangled, because she wouldn't give him the satisfaction.

When Katie finally went limp in his arms, growing weak from loss of blood and over-exerted from struggling, and had devolved into tearful pleading, it was really easy to dump her back into the passenger seat of her car.

He took his place in the driver's seat, drove back onto the road, got the speed up to forty-five (he didn't want to get hurt) miles per hours, waited he met another car coming from the opposite direction, then, bracing himself, drove off the road, through a shallow ditch, straight into an old oak.

Katie hit her head against the dash during the collision and was slumped back, unconscious.

_Good_. It meant he could wait for the ambulance, and come down from the rush, in peace. He smirked when he reflected on how much closer he was.

* * *

Tyler graciously showed her how to work the modern washer and dryer too, which, in her opinion, featured too many knobs and buttons, before he departed like his ass was on fire, saying he wouldn't be back until the following morning.

Skye was able to wash her clothes from yesterday (leaving Kai's discarded garments on the floor), and after a quick shower, changed back into the now clean outfit, then washed Liv's pajamas. She had remembered to retrieve the useless cellphone from her jean's pocket before she had put them into the washing machine, but only because it had been beeping and chiming every five minutes. She had tried to toy with it some more, hoping to gain some experience and distract herself, but it's screen went black and wouldn't come back on.

Now, as night was falling, she lounged on the couch, trying to read a book she had picked up from the study upstairs. She had discovered it was a first edition of A Tale of Two Cities, and she was more studying it than reading it, trying to be delicate with it. Because she had never actually gotten to see a first edition before, let alone touch one.

Being alone by herself in an huge house apparently had a tendency to draw out thoughts she would've rather kept contained in some part of her brain she couldn't access.

Like how she was actually doing a piss poor job of trying to undermine Kai - she had just went back to sleep without a single question this morning, made it incredibly easy for him to slip away, uncontested.

Or how in the world she thought she could manage to pull off such a feat anyway.

Or how powerless she was to escape, even knowing what town they were in. She didn't know her way around the town, first of all. She didn't know how to get from Tyler's house to the Boarding House. She couldn't consult a map either because residences, whether private or public, usually weren't marked.

Or maybe she was really bothered by how all those thoughts didn't seem as important as to dwell on as her recollection of the events this morning. His soft lips and hard teeth hooked on her ear, creating a tingle that she felt even now as she brushed her finger along the edges of her ear. The stupid nibble had barely lasted a minute, but it still infuriated her, that he was succeeding in exactly what she knew he had set out to do - tormenting her in a different, albeit more pleasureable, way.

She sunk back into the couch cushions, sighing.

It was midnight, and she was dozing on the couch, when Kai finally rolled in from his adventure that day.

She had sat up automatically, and then her stomach lurched at the sight.

He stood in the foyer, most of his face and neck completely coated in blood, some staining the edge of the collar of the gray, long-sleeved shirt he wore. Shopping bags dangled from his hands.

"Aww, you waited up for me," he said, coming forward, his voice falsely flattered. "That was really sweet of you, babe."

She only stared in shock, because - _damn it_ \- she couldn't ask. But there was something else inside her that reacted in an opposite, unexpected way, and she was too discomforted to confront it now.

He dropped the bags down on the coffee table, before he took off in the direction of the kitchen.

She darted forward, her hands reaching for one bag. From it, she pulled out several pairs of men's jeans, a sticker labeled them as "skinny cut." Her brows furrowed, recalling the cab ride, how he had complained so much about them, but he bought more for himself? She didn't ruminate on Kai's inconsistency too long however as, automatically, her mind went to other aspects of the cab ride.

_The man's head falling forward, a white wire loosening around his neck._

She moved on to the next bag, this one filled to the brim with women's clothes. Embellished skinny jeans, which was fine. She didn't mind them so much, not finding them as uncomfortable as the tops. However, she groaned when she saw Kai's selection of tops, all similar to the one she wearing and hated.

Then she heard a gross smacking sound, looked up to see Kai, still completely bloody, standing under the archway. He watched her perusal, holding two jars - one peanut putter and the other strawberry jam - in one hand. He used the fingers of his other hand to dip into the jars, obviously not overly concerned about cross-contamination, and licked the substances off his fingers. She stared at him in disgust, and wondered how the metallic tang of blood might've tasted mixed with the sweet- and saltiness. He answered with a brazen grin.

"Has it ever occurred to you that I'd like to pick out my own clothes?" she finally asked, irritated.

"Uh, yeah, not happening," he said dismissively, around a mouthful of his breadless P,B,&amp; J.

"Why not?" she demanded.

"Because you'd pick something frumpy to spite me," he countered, moving to sit on the other side of her. He reclined leisurely, propping his boots up on the table.

It _was _like him to begrudge her even the smallest comforts.

She huffed, reaching for the last bag. It contained colorful, matching underwear sets and sundresses._ Because those are practical_, she thought, rolling her eyes. At least, the bra and panties were close to her actual size, just one size bigger. Skye could live with that until she was able to pick out her own clothes. If she ever would get to again.

"Would it have killed you to buy me even one T-shirt?"

"You can borrow some of mine," he shrugged. He had abandoned the peanut butter jar, shoving it in her direction, now in full favor of the jam. She slammed it down on the coffee table. "Apparently that's the thing now, wearing your boyfriend's stuff. At least that's what I assume since the salesgirl was trying to get me to buy something called boyfriend jeans for you."

"You're not my boyfriend," she grumbled, bringing her hands to her face. She rubbed them over her eyes and cheeks, taking a deep dropping them, she snapped, "If you were, you'd actually have to treat me like a real person, and not your damn doll." She turned her face towards him, scowling."Which I'm getting really tired of, by the way."

Kai didn't immediately react, but she studied him closely. He just calmly licked the remaining jam off his pinkie finger, fixed the lid back on the jar, inhaling deeply. As he straightened, however, that's when she grew nervous. All of his movements were measured, he was building towards something cruel and devastating.

_Or keeping himself in check_, her brain supplied, playing Devil's advocate interestingly. She didn't know which was more likely.

He came forward to the edge of the couch, set the jam jar down next to the peanut butter jar, hunched his shoulders. Finally, his head swung around to her, a saccharine smile in place.

"Oh, believe me, Skye," he murmured, his hand reaching up. She stayed still, as he pushed a strand of her hair behind her ear. He chuckled. "I'm well aware of the fact that you're a real girl."

His words were so suggestive. She flushed, felt like her gut was getting seared, as he gazed at her, eyes shining with a lustfulness that was muted but still there, taunting her.

"We should go to bed soon," he said, standing, now nonchalant - the very opposite of her state in that moment. "Big plans tomorrow. Places to be, people to bend to my will or possibly murder... where's your cell phone?"

Wordlessly, she reached into her pocket - where she had stored it in frustration - for the phone.

He took it from her grasp, pressed a button on the side. "Dead, as I suspected. You have to charge the battery," he explained. "I'll do it for you."

He stalked off, and then she heard her footsteps as he ascended the staircase.

After a few minutes of her sitting in complete silent, staving off thoughts of any sort, she made her way up the stairs to their room.

It was lit by the lamp on the nightstand, the shower was running in the bathroom. Skye climbed into the bed, and slipped under the duvet, though her face was hot, and the rest of her body was starting to warm up too as she closed her eyes, contemplated the look he had given her after that comment.

It wasn't too long after that the bathroom door opened, humid steam pouring out. She smelled a fresh scent wafting in the air.

She opened her eyes, and almost groaned aloud at the sight that greeted her.

Kai's bare chest, glistening water droplets streaking down the expanse of his abdomen towards the top of his black boxers, which he wore low on his hips. His damp, dark hair actually laid flat against his forehead. His face now white, not red anymore - any trace of blood scrubbed off, though his skin held a slightly pinkish tint, probably stained from the abundant amount. The lean muscles of his arms flexing as he leaned down by the bedside table to extinguish the lamp.

He was doing it on purpose! She knew it, yet knowing his intentions still didn't deter her from wanting ...

She felt him shifting as he settled into bed, under the duvet.

She wondered if he'd try to kiss her cheek again, was proven right as he got closer to her.

She anticipated his movement as he moved up behind her, but this time, she turned her head at the last moment, meeting his lips with her own. She'd meant for it to be a brush, a peck. Brief and tentative, borne out of a starvation for affection - some positive, human contact. But, and she was loathed to admit it, also something darker, something more primal that sprang to life within her at the sight of the blood smeared on his face.

She figured she literally had nothing left to lose, so why did it matter if she gave in to it - the desire and to him? Just for a moment. Maybe she was concussed after all and her judgment was deficient as an effect. Yep, that was definitely the reason.

After a moment of stunned stillness from Kai, she tried to pull back, but he grabbed the sides of her face and brought her mouth back to his, more urgent and rough, his tongue sweeping across her bottom lip, before plunging in mercilessly, forcefully. After a second, the primal instinct drove Skye to return the new kiss with equal fervor.

It had been a long time for both of them, she remembered, and this realization turned the kiss into something cathartic for her. _Just a way to relieve the tension of the day_, she told herself. The tension he ignited with that stupid ear nibble this morning and his exploration yesterday evening. Plus, he tasted like mint from toothpaste, and not like blood, peanut butter, and jelly, for which she was very grateful.

Feeling purged and desperate for oxygen, Skye broke the kiss. However, Kai was pushing her back to lay flat on the bed, hovering over her, his hands at her hips, pinning her down, his mouth already working on her neck - biting and licking intermittently. She arched her back, turning her head, allowing him better access as she brought her hands up to his damp hair, burrowing her fingers in the short, soft strands, holding him in place.

Skye tried and failed to fight her moan as he began sucking on the skin of her most sensitive spot. The sensation was pleasurable, soothing, shiver-inducing strokes of the tongue, and painful, his teeth pinching every so often, all at the same time, but she knew by now that was Kai's specialty and, unfortunately, the preference he had cultivated in her, even before the prison world.

His mouth found its way back up to Skye's, but not before pressing more bruising kisses to her jaw line. He, however, didn't kiss her. Just kept his mouth suspended over hers, for excruciating seconds, making her wait with an almost painful anticipation. She opened her eyes, to meet his, which were practically twinkling with a cruel amusement, but also a challenge. Kai wanted her to make the next move, but she didn't understand why, as dazed as she was.

She sighed out in frustration, but she supposed two could play the teasing game.

She slid her hands down to caress his neck sensuously, her nails scratching, and she felt him grow tense against her, probably unsure of her intentions. She would have to work fast, before he grew impatient and took the control away from her.

Keeping one hand on his neck, another traveled down until it reached the hem of his boxers. Skye leant forward, and pressed her own lingering kiss on the corner of his mouth, before she ghosted her lips slowly up his cheekbone, all the while her hand crept upward, grazed the warm skin of his stomach, his muscles there contracting. She finally reached his ear, flicking her tongue against the nub.

He shuddered, she felt it.

She was unable to stifle her soft laugh of triumph as it sounded right against his ear. The feeling payback elicited was blissful, but short-lived as he drew away quickly, glaring down at her. She just smiled innocently, which seemed to ignite more anger out of Kai, his eyes darkening.

Kai sat up, her hand falling away back to her side, and she regretted teasing him, suddenly feeling bereft.

But then he was grasping her arms, hauling her up to a sitting position, and he crashed his mouth against hers again. It was punishing, this new kiss. Rougher than before, if it were possible, his teeth clamping down on her bottom lip brutally and tugging, probably trying to draw blood, as demented as he was. The pain nearly overcoming the pleasure.

She clasped his face tightly, groaning, preparing to push it away if it became too unbearable, but he softened, his tongue now pacifying her stinging lip with languorous strokes.

She soon felt the cold metallic brush of his rings against her bare flesh as he slipped both of his hands under the hem of her shirt, trailing up her abdomen, her skin's turn to react to his touch.

Alarms started blaring in the back of her head.

Skye reacted before she could think about it, pushing him away and rolled over to the very edge of the bed. She laid, rigid and panting, eyes clamped tight, her mind fervently hoping he wouldn't push the issue, insist they continued what she started, though her body was screaming for it.

Kai chuckled humorlessly and breathlessly, the sound darkly frustrated.

"Wow," he said, "You know, you're going to have to stop teasing me eventually, right?"

She made a face - she wasn't the one doing most of the teasing here, he'd been the one flaunting himself and his mouth prowess. "I don't know. We're here in the real world, full of plenty of other girls. I'm sure you'll find a new doll soon."

But that would probably mean she was dead, the realization dousing her desire almost instantaneously.

She was pulled back abruptly, his arm taut around her waist, until she flush against his chest, other parts pressing into her too - he certainly wasn't over his lust. His nose nuzzling her ear, he snickered. "Unlikely. I've already put too much work into you." His lips caressed her cheek briefly before he relaxed, the limb around her soon growing heavy.

There had been some actual honesty in his last statement, and it was so totally unexpected and uncharacteristic, she had trouble breathing. Because there were so many implications to be sorted through there, but she was too scared to do it.

Instead, she tried to relax as well, trying to ignore the burning of her neck, only cooled by Kai's exhales. With a cringe, Skye realized she would be marked for tomorrow.

* * *

Skye could sense she was alone in bed when she woke up the next morning.

She heard several voices, however, drifting in from the hallway through the now open door. They sounded like they were coming from downstairs, but she couldn't make out the words, and she didn't think any belonged to Kai.

_Kai._

There was nothing like the bright sunlight to make her regret the decisions she made in the dark. Especially the ones from the night before, it seemed.

"Get up, babe."

Quickly, she flipped around to find Kai exiting the bathroom, now every part of him clad in all black, save his jeans.

Stopping by the dresser on the other side of the room, he bent down for a moment, then he was up again, launching fabric at her. He proceeded to the night stand, unplugged their phones from the charger, and set her phone on the bed."Get dressed and meet me downstairs. Don't forget that," he said flatly, pointing at the device. He left the room without fanfare.

_Well, that was cold,_ she decided. Wondered if he was also regretting some of the events of last night ... or probably, just pissed off or frustrated.

She looked down at the edge of the bed, where the articles of clothing had landed, to see what he had picked out for her. Jeans, one of those insubstantial blouses, one half sheer lace, the other half uncomfortable polyester, this time in red. The leather jacket and Converse.

She took another quick shower, stopping only by the mirror to shake her head at the large hickey she now sported on the left side of her neck - bigger than she had suspected. At least, she was already wearing her hair down.

She dressed swiftly and met him downstairs in the foyer, the house now devoid of any voices or people.

Kai drove them to Mystic Fall's cemetery, in a new car she assumed he borrowed from Tyler. He was more chatty as they walked from the road where he parked the car through the woods to the older part of the cemetery. Except he wasn't interested in answering any of the curious questions she posed, of course. Just rambled about inane matters, like usual - "And, damn, have you seen the price of gas? Inflation's killer."

"The whole Zima thing is still kinda tragic, too."

"Hey, did you know Mel Gibson turned out to be crazier than me?"

She walked beside him in silence, having learned long ago that he was actually really adept at keeping up a conversation with himself.

Thankfully, their trip was short, as they crested a small hill and approached a clearing, filled with rows of old, dilapidated tombstones. A small, but elaborate stone structure sat back behind them - a mausoleum with "Salvatore" scrawled across the top of the entrance. She followed after him through the open doorway, stomach in knots.

When her eyes adjusted to the low light inside, she gasped. "What the hell, Kai?"

A woman laid, unconscious, bound by chains to a stone bench near the wall. Rushing forward, Skye crouched down, checking her pulse. There, she got a better look at the woman's face. She was middle-aged, but she looked familiar. Dark hair, sharp cheekbones, button nose. Turning around, Skye focused on Kai's features as he stood, arms crossed, surveying them with a bored expression.

"Josette," she whispered.

"Yep," he replied. "Haven't decided if she's aged well or not."

"I think you should be more worried about her being hypothermic," Skye snipped, since she just been in contact with Jo's ice cold skin. She had probably laid here all night, exposed to the elements.

Kai shrugged, "I'm sure she was comfortable."

Pushing down her annoyance, she scanned the rest of Jo, happy to see the woman didn't suffer from any visible wounds. So whose blood had that been all over him last night?

She ventured, with the hope he would be more open to answering her questions now that he was putting his plans in motions. "So not her blood last night?"

Kai smirked, "Nope, that was some random, really helpful girl's I met."

Absurdly, her chest burned at his words. "Is she dead?" The question shot out of her like a bullet, her tone hard.

"Oh, babe, don't worry about her." He waved his hand in the air. "I left her screaming in a hospital bed. She's probably fine, just in need of some emergency surgery," he reassured before he paused, then his eyes bulged comically. "Oh, wait, I guess I did kidnap their best emergency surgeon."

Skye had to take several breaths in, to refrain from rushing him, with the intent to harm.

Luckily, she was saved from the impulse, as there was a rustling outside, and a crunching sound - dead grass being walked on. Two more figures stepped into the mausoleum - a young woman and man, with similar features and coloring. Like Jo and Kai, but opposite. Light where they were dark.

_Olivia and Lucas._

They certainly weren't four year-olds anymore. Kai had been right in his description of Liv, wild, curly hair and rocker style. Lucas, was more reserved in style, but rugged, with longish hair and a beard.

And they were wary, she could tell from their tense stances. Both spotted her at the same time. However, it was only Lucas who looked surprised, then eyed her suspiciously.

"Who is she?" he demanded.

"You're Skye, right?" Liv asked, quietly. Her demeanor didn't seem abrasive now, as Kai described. She seemed somber. "Tyler mentioned you. Kai's girlfriend."

Skye grimaced, "Not his girlfriend."

"Don't listen to her, she totally is," he told them. She glared at him. He smirked back. "That's Skyler, you met her when you were four. You've probably repressed that day, though, if your tiny brains were even able to comprehend it."

Skye didn't what to do, how to act, as they regarded her with severe expression. She felt like it didn't matter what she did, they had already decided in that moment to be against her on principle, for simply being connected to Kai the way she was.

"Great, now introductions have concluded, do you have it?" Kai pushed on, stepping towards them. Luke reached into his jacket, pulled a sharp object from inside. A hunting knife.

He handed it to Kai, blade first. Kai took it without problem.

Skye swallowed, averting her gaze; it was the same one he had held to her throat that night.

Kai turned away from them, and held the knife up to the light filtering in through the stain-glassed window. He scrutinized it, his expression close to reverence.

"I know I tried to kill you when you were toddlers," he started, turning back and stepping forward. "But I gotta say, it sure is nice to be around family for the holidays."

Everyone's eyes were drawn to the unconscious woman that laid between them.

Skye suppressed the urge she had to vomit.

_A/N: Yay, another update! Sorry for the wait! I think this chapter came from a very dark, depraved place - ha, hope you like it! _

_I started my senior year of college, so it's an even busier time for me now. I'm gonna try to manage at least one update per month (which isn't all that different than the schedule I have now). But I assure you guys, I'm 100% committed to finishing this story. Hell, I've even been planning a sequel. It will happen one day, I promise! Thanks to my friend, Katie, for letting me use her name! Sorry I made you one of Kai's murder victims. _

_Also, I received a message from a reader recently. She's created a playlist for Kai on 8tracks, partly influenced by Bloodsport and the songs I put at the beginning of chapters. Check it out if you want (all the songs are really good and fit Kai really well!)._

_/kathleencade17/devil-s-whisper_

_Thanks so much to all the people who added me to their favorites and follows, but also to those who reviewed. _

_VampiresAndLiars: I was never a big fan of Tyler all that much either, but Kai has other issues to focus on right now, lol. It would be kinda weird to just kill Tyler off all of a sudden, though I'm definitely intrigued by the possibility of Kai killing him. Anyway, hope you like this update anyway. _

_heytay1: Thank you! Sorry to say though, it's going to be awhile before they're officially together in a healthy capacity, which is important to me. But I hope you can enjoy the ride getting there. As much as I love Kai too, he's gotta earn it, ha._

_Livhardy: Thanks so much! I'm glad you think the pacing's okay; I hope you thought well of the pacing of this chapter too since, once again, there wasn't much progress made._

_RHatch89: Thank you!_

_GITANJALEE123: Thank you! Hope you enjoyed the make-out. As for the advice part, I would probably need more information about the character herself to give you good advice. I can give general advice for now, but if you want more in depth advice, you're welcome to private message me (that way, I could probably get back to you in a more timely fashion as well). First of all, most psychopaths are self-centered, and that will inform a lot of your writing and and most of her decisions. You should probably an M.O. for her, a method of how she engages in psychopathic behavior. Like with Kai, his M.O. could be argued, but I think his preferred one is stabbing. He's also a bit of an opportunistic killer, meaning he sometimes just uses what's handiest at that moment. That probably stems from his impulsivity, but he's also been shown to be methodical. Your female character can exhibit both too, it just depends on her specifics, like I said._

_I hope that helps a little bit. Please private message me with more questions and more information if you want. : )_

_YoCupcake: Ha, thank you so much! May I ask what exactly you shouted, "wtf," at, if you remember? Don't worry, he will suffer for her affection, though it might not seem like that at first. It kinda comes crashing down around 6x16 and 6x17, I think. As you can see, he's gonna be "torturing" her in this manner for a while. Love jealous Kai too, might see a reappearance of him next chapter, : )_

_Thanks, also, for the review on my Bonkai story - it truly meant a lot! I plan to continue that, just don't know when. _

_Thanks for the suggestion of the fic rec on Tumblr! I didn't see it if you did, but I miss a lot stuff on there. It's okay if you haven't, either. I'm planning to recommend yours on mine someday, but most of my Bonkai followers already know about them, lol._

_Anyway, I can't thank you enough, hope you enjoy this new chapter. _

_LovelyFandomLover: I was truly touched by your review, I'm glad you love and believe in Skye so much. I hope you still like her (and the pace) after this chapter - she gets a little crazy, I think Kai rubbed off on her. Thank you for the review!_

_julieakaweirdo: Thank you! Damon and Skye will reunite next chapter, : ) and Skye will also found out about the linking so I hope you don't mind waiting._

_Lizzy B:Thank you! Hopefully, the merge will come soon. I have a lot of good stuff planned for directly after it, ; ) Also, I hope you like this bit of Tyler/Skye interaction, and that he was even a little bit in character?_

_PrincessMagic: Thank you!_

_sbritt264: I'm sorry, but it's gonna be a while before they're officially together. They have a lot of issues to work though, and I want their relationship to be healthy - which it is the very opposite of what it is right now. _

_autumnleaves14: Thank you so much! The linking and Kai's reasoning will be revealed next chapter. I'm deviating completely from the show where Kai is concerned, in the middle of 6x17. He's not gonna die in the finale. In fact, you might need to worry about other characters before him._

_sarahmichellegellarfan1: Thank you!_

_lily2587: That's good, lol! May I ask what specific feels you felt? _

_Khari: Thank you so much! Truly, thank you for taking the time to craft such professional reviews. They really help me, let me know what I'm doing well, so I can do more of that. I also get very frustrated when evil male characters are depicted as loving boyfriends - it's not realistic. Sorry for the wait, but I hope this chapter lives up in your estimation to the last! _

_romanovaquill: Thank you! Hope you like this chapter._

_Female whovian: Sorry, lol, he will continue to be problematic for a while. But thank you!_

_Nirvana14: Thank you! Yeah, this chapter, I think her attraction won out for a few moments, hope you enjoyed it. _

_Kelly1432: Lol, I would like to say I would've caved too. But honestly, if I knew Kai in real life, he would scare the crap out of me, despite his looks. But I'm glad you recognized Skye's trauma, she has lot to work though. I hope this chapter is realistic too for you even though she kinda did let him get the best of her. But it's super sweet of you to call her 'bae,' lol. Sorry for the wait, but I hope you enjoyed re-reading and this chapter. _

_Tasha: Thank you! Hope you like this update._

_Sweet Summer Sunset: Yay, I'm glad you did too. She will meet some of them next chapter (Ric) and more the chapter after next (Stefan and Jeremy). Thank you, hope you like this chapter too!_

_XxMikealsonForeverxX: Thank you!_

_Half-Cactus: I'm sorry, lol! More teasing this chapter, but also a little pay-off, right? I wish I could take a break from Kai fanfiction, but he's overtaken my life. It's unhealthy, but thank you so much! I love hearing little details like that, I love knowing how you react viscerally to my writing. See, that sounds creepy, so don't worry about it, ha._

_NiNa5: Thank you! Sorry it wasn't soon, but hope you like it anyway!_

_Jennie: Thank you! Again, sorry it took a while._

_Guest 1: Thank you! Here it is, hope you like it!_

_Steph01924: Thank you! I'm still updating, they just take a while._

_Guest 2: I think what you're asking is does he have pure, romantic feelings for her? And the answer to that is no, because he's incapable of them at this point in time. However, he harbors many other feelings for her. Like lust for sure, he's also certainly possessive of her. There's also some fascination and fondness, but those feelings are all related to how she affects him or makes him feel. Not because he wants her to feel anything for him. In fact, he doesn't actually care what or how she feels, period. _

_I think this chapter speaks more to that, too. Anyway, I hope this explanation makes sense, and that you enjoy the story. Please, you have a constructive criticism for me concerning Kai's portrayal, tell me, I'd love to hear it : ) _

_Courtney-Tamara: Lol, thanks! Here it is, hope you like it. _


	13. Chapter 13

Set during 6x10, "Christmas Through Your Eyes"

_A terrible mistake was made_

_The weight would break the backs of 10 strong horses tried to save_

_The castle in the fray_

_If you knew, that I could take the pain_

_Inflicted at the battle_

_With faithful arrows_

_You might get back in the saddle_

_But it's a special death you saved_

_For me the brown eyed daughter_

_Once you made it hotter_

_The thankless holy praise_

_Is left alone why bother_

_To cast a stone in water_

"_Special Death" - Mirah_

**Trigger warning: suicide, mentions of suicide**

Chapter 13 - A Special Death You Saved

_May 10, 1994_

_"Drowning?"_

_"Been there, done that. Lake, ocean, and bathtub." _

_"Pills?"_

_"I've already tried every prescription drug I could get my hands on," Skye informed as she paced in front of the massive, floor-to-ceiling glass windows. _

_Kai frowned down at the paper, crossing out yet another method with his pencil. His tongue worked in his check as he contemplated more possibilities. Soon, he was leaning back into the couch, tapping the pencil against his chin._

_Skye paused in her pacing and turned away from him, surveyed the view the windows presented them. Blaring sunshine, the sharp drop off of the cliff, beyond that, the vast expanse of the bright blue Pacific. _

_Kai had finally convinced her into paying a trip to sunny California, and she had agreed because it was nearing a new millennium in the real world. They had decided to celebrate it with a suicide pact and by living it up for a while in the fancy, oceanside mansion. Not a celebrity's, much to Kai's dismay. Just a studio executive's. _

_She just liked it's easy access to the beach below, courtesy of a steep path cut in the rock of the cliff, that she was surprised Kai hadn't attempted to push her down yet. _

_"Hanging?" she suggested finally._

_She heard him chuckle. "Three times. The first two tries really sucked, though. I miscalculated, and my neck didn't snap instantly. Let me tell you, choking to death - definitely not fun."_

_Skye cringed at the image his disconcertedly glib words conjured- of his flailing body, a rope tight around his throat, his hands clutching at it desperately, his face growing rapidly purple. However, her tone was biting as she swung around and retorted, "Yeah, I gathered that from the five times you've done it to me."_

_"You keep track?" he questioned, his tone sounding disturbed, but his eyes were shining with a wild gleam that screamed his amusement. _

_"It's a rough estimate," she shrugged. She came forward, and sat on the edge of the couch, next to him. She grabbed his notepad from the table while he tuned back into the biggest television she had ever seen, a rerun of The Cosby Show playing. One she knew he had watched several hundred times. She glanced down at the other methods he had written down in his lazy scrawl. _

_She snorted, when her eyes took in the last one._

_"What?" He shifted his focus back to her._

_"Starvation, really?"_

_"It's plausible," he defended himself. "Have you tried it?"_

_"Oh, no, but I would really love to see you try it, Mal._

_Mr.I-can't-go-three-hours-without-shoving-something-fatty-into-my-mouth." _

_"Ha, ha," Kai deadpanned, engrossed in the TV once again. "Seriously, so hilarious. I don't know why you wasted your time earning a degree, when you clearly had such a talent for comedy."_

_She yearned to smack him with the decorative pillow at her elbow but refrained. Mostly because she would probably be inviting a much harsher retaliation, but also because it was a holiday and stipulation one of their truce was no violence. If anyone was going to finally break it, she would make damn sure it was Kai. _

_"We really need to pick a way, Kai," she insisted, reaching for the remote. She clicked "off," and Kai sprang up off the couch with groan._

_"Oh my god," he burst out, walking off around the to the kitchen, no doubt."It's impossible to come with anything when we've already done most of it. Let's just chop each other's head off."_

_Skye sighed. _

_It was difficult, but important, though, because New Year's Eve was the next day. She had remembered the buzz the about the year 2000 back in '94, how everyone thought it would mean the end of days. That's what she was hoping for, anyway. That the much-feared "apocalypse" would somehow converge with their attempt and send her somewhere else. It could be deemed somewhat irrational to believe so, but being stuck in a timeless limbo certainly wasn't rational and she was desperate. So was Kai, apparently, telling her there might be some actual potential to the idea._

_Kai reentered the room, a frozen fudge bar in hand - proving her point from earlier. She was just about to tell him so, but the oddly thoughtful look on his face tripped her up. _

_"What is it?" she asked._

_"I just got an idea actually. What about hypothermia?"_

"_Surprisingly, never tried it before."_

"_Me either."_

* * *

_Trust Kai to pick a Mexican restaurant - El Compadre right on Sunset Blvd. - to commit suicide in, simply because he thought tacos would make a great last meal._

"_You shouldn't murder yourself on an empty stomach," Kai chastised, wagging a finger at her as they entered. She was funny to her how he characterized suicide as another form of murder, it said a lot about him. _

_He started for the back, slipping behind the bar, headed through the swinging double doors to the kitchen. She surveyed the empty tables and sighed, then followed after him._

_He was already standing in front of a steel table, chopping up onions. Next to him, the industrial stove with a huge skillet set up over one large burner, olive oil sizzling._

_"I already found the freezer," he told her. "It's back there." He pointed the knife at the hallway behind her. She looked down it, saw the large, reinforced door of a walk-in freezer set into the wall._

_"So chicken, pork, or steak?" he asked, as he pulled a basket of bell peppers from a shelf above his head. _

_"I'm not hungry, Kai," she said. For the state of mind she was currently in, food surely had no place. An incongruous place, if any. _

_"Come on, this place is stocked," he encouraged with a playful smile. "I'll chop up some cilantro. I'm also making my homemade salsa and guacamole. You don't wanna miss that." _

_"Yes, because mashed up six year old avocados sound yummy," she quipped as she started walking down the hallway. Kai paused in his actions to watch her leave, his disappointment easily visible in his face if she had bothered to turn around and see it. "I think I'll take my chances with the freezer early instead."_

_She felt the chill on her bare arms instantly. The inside of the freezer was moderate, the size of a walk-in closet. Lined with shelves and boxes of various sizes, a horizontal wire rack ran along the walls. She picked an empty spot and sat on the rack, leant up against the frosty wall - it wasn't too comfortable, but it could've been worse. She shut her eyes and propped her head against the wall. _

_She didn't know how much time had passed when the door swung open and Kai walked in, using the fingernails of hand to pick at his teeth, the other balanced two shot glasses filled with a clear liquid. All she knew was she was caught in a mild shiver, her hands rubbing her arms. _

_He sat down across from her and smirked. "That was _muy bueno_, by the way. Just in case you were wondering. I also got us some refreshments, on account of New Year's Eve and all. Figured you wouldn't refuse this." _

_He extended one glass out to her. She moved forward to take it from his grip and downed it expertly. Tequila. It was smooth, so expensive. She was glad for his good taste in this particular arena. She leaned back again and closed her eyes._

_It was completely silent then, save for the gentle hum of the freezer. She didn't mind it, but that meant Kai would fill it in… three … two... one. "We should play a game," Kai suggested. She resisted a snort. _

_"You talk too damn much," she grumbled. "Can't I just freeze to death in peace?"_

"_Like 'Truth or Dare,'" he persisted. _

"_Neither of which hold any stakes here with you."_

"_And that means?"_

_She opened her eyes and gazed at him sourly. "We're the last two people on Earth, dares mean nothing. Dares are meant to embarrass the person doing them for the amusement of the darers. People only get embarrassed by other people's reactions. There's no point here. Besides," she continued, pulling her legs up on the racks, bending them at her chest, "I already know you're shameless, and I'm not doing anything for your amusement. The same goes for the truth - you'd never tell it and I'd never believe what comes out of your mouth anyway."_

_He pursed his lips. "Fine, let's share some juicy secrets," he said. "No, wait. 'Two Truths and a Lie' - that's something my insipid sisters used to play back in the day."_

_Skye felt a pang of despair at the mention of his sisters. "Again, that ties back to truth, something you're incapable of. For you, the game is 'Three Lies and Internal Snickering.'"_

_A shit-eating grin split his face."Oh, I'll be honest, babe. Painfully so."_

_"I guess you wouldn't have it any other way, Mal." He could talk all he wanted, that didn't mean she had to participate. _

_"So, I'll go first," he said, deceptively earnest. "One - Pam Anderson is hot. Two - I was actually the favorite child of my family. Three - I always knew about the stash of cookies you hid from me in the upper left kitchen cabinet in our apartment." _

_Despite her disinclination to participate, she felt compelled to respond to that one. "You're supposed to make it difficult, Kai." Then, rolling her eyes, she added, "And about yourself. And not as something as trivial as my secret cookies." _

_He shrugged, looking extra pale in the light of the lone light bulb from the corner. "Consider it a beginner's mistake. Your turn."_

_Her chest seized up as her mind lingered on his "lie." It was the cold, had to be. It was causing all her muscles to stiffen. Nevertheless, she now wanted to humor him - it had the potential to be equally funny and devastating. _

_"Fine. Let's see. One - I've always hated your chicken parmesan. I literally dreaded coming home every night I knew you were making it. Two... I had a pregnancy scare that I never told you about because it was too early in our relationship. Three - I cheated on you once." _

_Yes, the expression on his face after her statement just then - hilarious because it was a cross between hostility,astonishment, and befuddlement. Like he couldn't figure out which one to address first, which ones could possibly true, or which bothered him more._

_Slowly, his lips curled up into an appreciative smile. "You're good at this." _

_She shrugged. "I had a lot of practice. Lots of sleepovers with people I liked to call my 'friends.' You know what those are, right?" _

_That had meant to be a dig, but he ignored it in favor of being contemplative for a moment, releasing a loud exhale. "I'm gonna go with the first one."_

_Now, she was astounded and burst out in disbelief, "Really, Kai? You'd rather I cheated on you than hate a meal you made?" _

_He stared at her impassively. She sighed - she did a lot of sighing lately, it seemed. The air leaving her mouth became steam in front of her. "I didn't, FYI. The cheating thing was the lie."_

_"It wouldn't have mattered if you had - the guy wouldn't have been around for me to hunt down anyway."_

_Here, her whole body suffered a particularly violent convulsion, but deep down she felt a perverse warmth at the thought of him jealous and violent over her. She remembered how she construed those moments of his jealousy and possessiveness back in the early 90s as the closest confirmation she got of his feelings for her since he never voiced them. She knew the truth now - that he would use any excuse for violence, to stamp down any challenges to his perceived dominance - but it still didn't stop her first natural reaction. God, she was messed up. _

_Kai still looked untouched by the chill, probably the jacket he still wore. Him and his compulsive need to wear layers. _

_"And I wouldn't need to be worried?" she ventured curiously. _

_"Nah," he said softly. "I mean, sure, I would've been apoplectic. But I would've probably gotten over it... after I doled out some punishments, of course." There it was. She pondered what his "punishments" would entail - bloodshed, definitely. He was fascinated by her blood, she had discovered during one particularly painful, but quick ambush in Albuquerque three years before. Loss of limb, maybe - he had expressed an interest in experimenting with their attempts, to see if they could regenerate body parts Burning, perhaps. His affinity for fire was second only to his fondness for knives. His face betrayed no hint of his would-be intentions, he just looked calm. Inscrutable._

_He distracted from her musings with a question of his own."So when was this pregnancy scare?" _

_"After the first couple of times." _

_His gaze turned speculative. "Have you ever had one while we've been here?" _

_"N-no." Her teeth had started chattering. They fell into silent again as the weighty declaration settled over them. She had never given much thought to the fact that, despite their several impromptu (so therefore usually) unprotected sexual encounters in the Prison World, she had never had a pregnancy scare. Perhaps, they were so far in between that they weren't effective… but it only took one time. Maybe she was just unable to conceive or he was sterile. Who knew? Not like they could run tests on themselves to find out and she wasn't too worried about it. _

_No, she was growing drowsy and numb, her teeth clicking together at a rapid pace, and she soon realized that she wasn't too worried about _anything _at the moment. Not even Kai when he came out of his reverie and resumed the game. "It's my turn again, right?"_

_Her eyes were closed once again, her body heavy, slumped against the wall. _

"_Skye?"_

"_Hmm?" She heard movement, the clanging of metal against the floor, and she peaked one eye open to see him standing, on his way to her, his movements slightly sluggish._

_He sat next to her and shrugged off his jacket, revealing his Alice in Chains T-shirt and bare forearms. He shuddered involuntarily before he wrapped one arm around her shoulder, sweeping her into his relative warmth. She didn't feel it. "You're beating me. I don't know how I feel about that," he told her, frowning. _

* * *

_Her head was resting heavily on his shoulder now, her skin freezing even through the material of his T-shirt, but he suspected she didn't even know. She was on her way to losing the capability of speech, it seemed, and awareness. It made sense that she succumbed to the coldness before he did - being smaller than him and having spent a more considerable amount of time in the freezer before he came in._

_He could feel the warmth being zapped from him in large, blistering waves. Not to mention his boredom building to epic proportions. He was still capable of clear thought, and he was dwelling on things he usually worked hard to keep on the fringe of his conscious mind. The cold was getting to it, to him, with repeated shivers and some surface numbness, but not nearly as quickly as it should to his interior. _

_It slipped out of him before he could stop it. "Babe, can I ask you a question?"_

_She shifted slightly, her red-tipped nose rubbing up against his neck, and he took that as an undeniable encouragement. "Why did you start calling me Mal?"_

_He waited, thought he heard a mumbling in return. He bent his head until his ear was near Skye's mouth. "What?"_

_"S' reminder," she rasped. A reminder? A reminder of what, exactly? He was tempted to ask, but he doubted he would get much else out of her in this state. _

_Although, he knew she had known about his true given name before the Prison World, (she had glimpsed it when she had demanded to see his driver's license in order to check its validity) he was pretty sure she had never thrown it back in his face until they were imprisoned here. And she seemed to reserve it for special situations, had worked out her own rhyme and reason of when to use it. He just hadn't been able to figure out what it was, and it was driving him crazy… crazier. He wanted to strangle her every time it passed through her lips. _

_Soon, Skye was completely still next to him, and the cold was creeping under his skin, getting to him. He ground his teeth together, to keep them from chattering. He harbored an overwhelming urge to sleep, but he had wanted another turn on their game. "One -," he said, "I really hate you sometimes. Two - I hate _him _even more. Three - I think about it, you know. What would've happened if I had just gone home with you that night?" His own voice sounded gravelly to him. He cleared his throat, though, for no reason as he planned on keeping silent, thinking about Seattle (which had been his idea, initially) and what could've been until he froze to death. And he did._

_An hour later, he jerked awake, gasping. But he felt normal, his arms cold, but the rest of his body temperature had returned to normal, though they were still occupying the freezer, which was still functioning fine as he far as he could tell. _

_Skye was awake and huddled in his arms, probably trying to converse the warmth she now had and tapping into his. "It didn't work," she said, her voice tremulous. "Surprise, surprise."_

_Well, that had been anticlimactic. _

_He glanced at his multi-colored Swatch. It was after midnight now. "Happy New Year's, babe. You gonna kiss me?" he asked, stifling the niggling defeat and anger. They were promised another eternity together here, they might as well seal the deal. _

_She rolled her eyes and tried to pull away, but his hand was already clasping her jaw, drawing her face back up. The kiss wasn't his usual demanding ones - it was simple. She would call it "sweet," but it contained harsh notes of bitterness as well, because they had failed again. Because they were stuck with each other again. Because it was still May 10th, 1994 no matter what they did._

_It also didn't last long. After sucking on her lower lip for a few seconds, he pulled back. "Let's get out of here. We still haven't hit up George Lucas's house yet." _

_They were on their way out of the front door of the restaurant and into the warmer air of downtown L.A. when he mentioned casually, "You know, I've read about this museum in D.C. that has a guillotine."_

* * *

Skye was deducing quickly that something really strange was going on, but it had nothing to do with the woman that laid, unconscious, inside the crypt behind her. Or the fact that Kai had pulled out a long, sturdy-looking stick - the last thing he needed, in her opinion - from under a bush and was currently dragging in the dirt, creating a straight line several feet long. Frankly, Kai acting strange was normal. Also nothing to do with the magically imbued knife he had stowed away, resting in his interior jacket pocket. Or Liv and Luke and their equal expressions of perplexity as they observed Kai's actions.

"What the hell is he doing?" Olivia asked her twin.

Skye barely heard them, too distracted by her suspicions, which were all centered on the dark purple mark Kai sported on his neck, identical to her own hickey - in the exact same spot. His, though, displayed prominently and proudly while she had strategically hidden her's under a swath of hair, pulled forward over her shoulder.

No, she was completely bewildered because she hadn't noticed it the whole morning until they had made their way outside the mausoleum. But mostly because she didn't remember giving him one last night either during her lapse of good judgment, as she had decided she was going to call it. So it begged several questions: where the hell had he gotten it? From that girl whose blood he had come back to Tyler's house covered in? Her chest started burning again.

Except, then it wouldn't be just like her's - exact color, shape, and size.

Her brows furrowed, she stood off to Kai's side as he finished up his line and turned to face Lucas and Olivia, stabbing the stick into the ground and leaning on it, his typical, complacent expression in place.

"Probably playing tic-tac-toe with himself, _like a crazy person_," Luke answered her.

Skye snorted, crossing her arms. "You know, I have actually seen him do that before. It really is the funniest thing because, somehow - and I've never understood this - the cat always wins."

All three spared her a glance - the twins unsure, possibly a bit surprised that she had spoken at all since she hadn't from when she assured them she was not Kai's girlfriend or most likely suspecting her to be as unstable as their sociopathic brother. Kai's glance, however, was withering. She just smiled innocently back at him until he refocused his attention back on his siblings.

"Actually," he said, waving a finger at the line he'd drawn in the dirt. "This is the anti-magic border." He pointed his finger at the side the twins occupied. "Jo can get her magic back over there, while over here - "

Suddenly, the rattling of chains and a cry reached them from inside the crypt. "_What did you do to me_?"

Kai smirked, though his tone and look was ominous. "Sissy's up." He sauntered forward towards the entrance of the mausoleum, dropping the stick to the ground carelessly. Skye quickly followed him, with a strong sense of foreboding settling over her, the twins coming after her.

Jo was struggling with her chains, agitated. "What the hell did you do to me?" she shouted as soon as she saw Kai, then she froze, the sounds of the chains abruptly stopping, as Skye walked in after him.

Josette's eyes, sharper than Skye remembered, zeroed in on her. "Skye?" Her tone conveyed a quiet shock. Once again, Skye was stricken with uncertainty; she didn't know how to react to Jo. So, she didn't do anything except hang back as Kai approached Jo, stopping to stand at her feet.

"No, Kai," Kai broke in, sardonically, waving a hand in her face. "Your twinsie, remember? You haven't seen me in eighteen years, and you can't even muster a hello?"

She ignored him, her gaze directed at Lucas and Olivia, who kept close to the entrance. "What did you guys do?"

Both wore steely expressions. "What you should've done eighteen years ago," Olivia said firmly.

Jo looked away to glare up at Kai. "It's not gonna work, Kai. I don't have my ma-"

"Magic," Kai interrupted, crouching down. "Yeah, I recall. You stored it in this." He reached into his jacket and pulled out the wicked knife with a smile. Jo grew instantly alarmed, for good reason, as he immediately stabbed her in the arm.

Skye flinched.

Jo started shrieking in pain, while Kai held his palm flat against her cheek.

"What the hell!" Luke exclaimed.

Kai spoke through his teeth. "I'm trying to reunite Jo with her magic." He punctuated "magic" with another stab to the same place, Jo cried out again.

"Kai," Skye gritted out, step closer to him. Definitely intervention time.

But Kai had desisted on his own, lowering the knife, examining Jo's face, where he held his hand, closely. "It's not working," he muttered.

Luke came forward, grabbing Kai's shoulder. "Enoug-"

He was cut off as Kai pushed him back aggressively, knocking into Skye. She staggered back, catching her balance at the last moment, as Kai slammed Luke up against the wall next to the door, grasping his collar and holding the knife aloft, just several inches from Luke's throat.

"I was willing to kill you when your brain was the size of an acorn," he said, his voice barely above a whisper but still deadly."You don't think I'll do it now?"

Skye glanced at Liv and Jo. Liv looked indifferent but Jo desperately pulled at her chains.

Swallowing, Skye took a few steps and inserted herself in the space between them, causing Kai to step back.

She faced him, determined, as he gazed down at her stonily, his hand still poised in mid-air, the knife hovering over left shoulder.

"You know, you can threaten as many people you want, but …," she trailed off, prompting him.

Kai sighed. "But what, Skye?"

She smiled - her artificial smile, reserved just for him. "Frankly, you're just kinda wasting time."

Kai's eyes narrowed before he pursed his lips. His eyes on the knife, he brought it down until the tip of it caressed her collarbone, smearing some of Jo's blood on the collar of her shirt. Slowly, he then used the blunt edge of the knife to lift and push her hair back over her shoulder - the part that had been concealing the left side of her neck. Skye only vaguely registered Liv's and Jo's gasps as absorbed as she was now eyeing Kai's own blemish. He smirked at her when she finally meet his gaze again, her vindictive smile already fallen.

"Okay, this is too weird," Luke said, slipping out from behind Skye. "I'm not watching this." He walked out. Liv watched his exit forlornly.

Kai pulled away from Skye, breaking her transfixion, and started laughing. Liv's eyes shifted to him, her expression transforming into one that held fear, wariness, and a hint of hatred. Skye thought her face undoubtedly closely resembled Liv's just then.

"Ugh, _so _dramatic," he mocked, turning to his twin again, who still sat on the floor. Jo's breathing was labored as she tried to nurse her wound with her opposite hand. Skye moved forward, around Kai, stepping closer to the injured woman, wanting to offer assistance and comfort but also totally at a loss of how to without inviting Kai's anger. So she only stood off to her left side, grimacing at the woman's effort.

"Alright, sissy," Kai started, moving until he knelled at her feet again, bloody knife still in hand. "Let's try this again."

"Stop," Jo begged weakly then her voice gained conviction as she continued, "I put my magic in there by choice. Taking it back is also my choice."

Kai tilted his head, suspicious of her reasoning.

"Skye was right, you know. About wasting time. Because I can't make a choice if I bleed to death. Which will happen in the next thirty minutes." She smiled at the end of this announcement, and let out a harsh laugh. Skye couldn't help her own smile either as she observed Kai's unamused face. "Wouldn't it be ironic," she taunted, "if you accidently killed me before the Merge ceremony?"

Skye decided, in that moment, that she really liked older Jo. Younger Jo had struck her as naive, a little weak-willed, but this woman in front of her had obviously been through a lot and came out better for it in the end.

Kai seemed to consider her words, leaving his vexation behind. He cast an assessing glance up to Skye for a moment before he stood.

He turned to Skye, coming close, his free hand drifting to touch the side of her neck, his thumb brushing against the bruise there. "I'm going to go find a bandage," he intoned, his voice soft and serious, cajoling. "But I know you'll remember our conditions while I'm gone, right? Otherwise, no more secret trips to the library."

She didn't answer or make any sign of acknowledgement, but it piqued her interest. Because the way he phrased that last part - "secret trips to the library" - he made it sound like a euphemism. But the way he was gazing at her now, insistent and expectant, made her think he had, in fact, turned the phrase into a private one. What did it mean? Was he offering the promise of further incentives or privileges if she actually adhered to those conditions while he was gone?

"Skye," he said forcefully, squeezing her throat, pressing his thumb into her bruise. Her mind instantly flashed back to the morning he had awoken her by bouncing obnoxiously on the bed and greeted her with the same treatment - the morning that was supposed to be their last in the Prison World until Bonnie had magically sling-shot a pickaxe into his chest. He had tried to bargain with her then, too. She had refused to fall for it.

Now, she nodded, and Kai smiled, almost beatifically, at her and let go. He strode purposefully to Liv. She was pressed up against the wall beside the doorway as if it could protect her from him.

"So, your job is to figure out how to put the magic from this knife into our sister," he told her, holding the knife's hilt out to her. She grabbed it from him awkwardly. He passed by her but paused for a moment, turning back. "Preferably by the time I get back, so I don't have to dull it by slitting your throat."

Skye had to give Liv credit - she didn't react, let out a watery sigh of relief, until after he had departed.

Skye waited until he was out of sight too before she dropped down on her knees next to Jo, her hands immediately going to woman's injury, gingerly applying pressure. Jo startled briefly but then relaxed.

Skye focused her eyes on her fingers as they became coated in blood, avoiding Jo's eyes.

But Jo's next words had her head snapping up: "You were hiding them, weren't you?"

Skye intuited immediately what she talking about, because what else could she be talking about?

"Hiding who?" Liv questioned, approaching them. Jo kept her gaze on Skye.

"My father was so convinced you were helping him," Jo went on. "But you were hiding them from him."

"I was," she confirmed finally after a tense moment, in which she had two Parker women staring her down intensely - one with melancholy, the other suspiciously.

Jo's answering smile was more spirited. "I was right then."

Skye's chest felt a little looser, a little lighter; it was pleasing that her efforts that terrible night were finally being acknowledged by someone.

Liv, realizing that Jo and Skye were going to let her in on the secret anytime soon, reached over, brushed her hand against Jo's wound, pushing away Skye's. Liv's own was shaking, and she looked clearly distressed.

Jo was calm as she reassured her, "It'll be okay. I just needed to get rid of Kai so you can free me."

Liv pulled back, her face now grim. "Look, Jo, you can't run away from this anymore. You had eighteen years of freedom. Now," - she lifted the knife up between them - "take your magic back and do this. You owe it to the coven."

Skye could now understand why Kai had classified her as abrasive.

"Is that what you think?" Jo asked, disheartened. "That I've been shirking my responsibility to our family?"

"Luke's all I've got," Liv persisted, her eyes filling up again, her voice catching. "If we merge and he dies, I may as well be dead too."

"If Kai merges with me, he'll be more powerful than any of us," Jo maintained.

"I don't get it," Skye cut in. Both heads whipped around to her. "What makes him so strong? I thought he didn't even have his own power?"

"He doesn't," Jo said, "But he can absorb all of mine during the ceremony, giving him permanent magic, sure, but he'll still have the ability to siphon anybody else's. Extra boasts anytime he needs one."

"Yeah, but did it ever occur to you maybe you're strong enough to beat him?" Liv countered. "You were twenty-two the last time you went up against him. Since then, you've been a combat medic. You've saved hundreds of lives. Your hospital worships you."

Skye couldn't help the genuine smile that stole across her face. Jo certainly had gone on to achieve a lot of good. Jo looked touched and chuckled, "Someone's done her research."

"You're my sister," Liv said softly. "And I'm yours. Look how far you've come without magic." Liv stood, offering up a faint smile. "You didn't get here listening to people tell you you weren't strong enough." Liv extended the knife. Jo looked at it, at first a little fearful but then her expression grew determined.

Skye saw him too late, didn't even have time to shout a warning as he creeped up behind Liv and grasped her shoulders, his hands glowing orange where they made contact with her jacket. She screamed.

"Liv!" Jo yelled.

"Kai!" Skye shouted.

Liv slumped, whimpering, Kai's hands on her shoulders the only thing holding her upright.

"Can't say I didn't warn her," he said darkly.

Skye stood quickly, stepped towards them, but he released his hold unceremoniously, let her fall to her knees on the stone floor.

He took a breath in, with his hands held out in front of him, looking exhilarated.

Skye stopped unconsciously, floored by the sight of his rapturous expression.

He flipped his hand over and closed his eyes. His palm down, he centered it over Liv's head. "_Phasmatos superous em animi_."

Liv clutched her head, more whimpers escaping, blood dripping from her nose.

Skye shook herself, then reached and grabbed his forearm. "Kai, stop," she commanded lowly. His eyes snapped open, stern and warning, but his lips curved into a vicious smirk.

"Kai!" Jo yelled.

"Is it gonna be funny when I kill her using her own magic?" Desperate, Skye pulled roughly on his arm, hoping to break his connection. But then his other hand was coming down on her shoulder, and she found herself frozen suddenly. She couldn't move at all, even to open her mouth. "Wait, wait, is that funny or sad? I get my emotions mixed up," he said before he asked Jo, "Hey, what's the one for fire again? It's _incendia_, right?" Raising his hand, he said, "_Phasmatos_ _In-_"

Letting out a louder shriek, Liv fell to her side

"Kai, enough!" Jo cried, grabbing the knife from the floor where Liv had dropped it. Kai stopped his attack on Liv, attentive to Jo's actions.

She held it in front of her and chanted, "_Lectos espiritox_. _Lectos espiritox._" As she chanted, wind blew threw the room, stirring up leaves. Paradoxically, the candlesticks of the candelabras in the mausoleum's corners went aflame. Kai withdrew his hand from Skye's shoulder and she could move again.

Immediately, she shoved his chest, but he barely budged and caught her hands. Nearly crushing them, he clucked in disapproval. "We can get physical later, babe. Now's not the time."

She yanked back her hands, huffing. "You're revolting."

"Ooh, a new one. I like it."

He side-stepped her, approaching his sister who had just finished her chant. The wind died down, and he kneeled in front of her.

Skye went to Liv's side, who was curled up, recovering. Skye put a hand out, started rubbing her shoulder in an attempt to comfort her, but Liv's eyes and focus were fixed intently upon the twins adjacent to them.

Jo had opened her eyes, and Kai was raising his hands slowly. They hovered over her cheeks and the telltale orange glow could be seen in the space between. Jo was staring at Kai strangely, Skye could guess what his face probably looked like, recalling the exhilarated expression from before when he siphoned Liv. Not too far from his "O" face, if she was being honest. No wonder he wanted his own magic so badly.

"There it is," Kai whispered, before he drew away and stood, shaking his head. "Ugh, so predictable. I threaten Liv, you do anything it takes to save Liv."

"_Fractos_,"Jo muttered, bring her hands up forcefully. Her manacles broke just as a random whistle sounded from outside. Kai whirled around then started for the door. Skye stood.

Kai glanced out cautiously, Skye right on his heels, but she waited at the doorway as he walked out, his gaze darting around, trying to pinpoint the source.

He continued walking until, suddenly, he was flying back through the air into a tree after a blurred figure had rushed him. Skye cringed and hissed, as she felt pain erupt along her own spine, robbing her of breath.

"Skye?" came Jo's voice, anxious.

Kai landed on the ground and then Skye was allowed a clear view of his attacker. _Damon_. The vampire looked the same as the last time she saw him, getting swept up by the light of the Ascendant, except now he was dressed more stylishly.

"A cemetery? Really?" he snarked as Kai struggled to sit up.

Kai lifted his hand. "Motus."

Damon was pushed back by an invisible force across the line Kai had drawn in the dirt. Damon instantaneously started burning from the sun, angry, red blisters popping up on all parts of his exposed skin. Groaning, he stepped back across the line and began recovery while Skye stepped further out of the doorway, ignoring Jo's call of her name, with the hope Kai that wouldn't notice her movements, trying to decide when to break in and alert Damon of her presence.

Kai was too focused on his assailant as he walked around Damon, passing over the line himself, smirking. "Whoops, looks like you found the anti-magic border. I drew a line in the dirt for everyone's convenience. See?" He swiped his boot through the divot he made, kicking up dirt. "Yeah, you're welcome."

Skye chose that moment to proceed forward finally, coming out of the shadow of the doorway. "Damon!" she cried. Damon pivoted, but her eyes had drifted to a man she had never seen before sneaking up behind Kai, who looked completely unaware of the threat and positively livid at her interruption.

"Ka-" she started, but then stopped as she was seized from behind, one arm around her neck, a hand on her mouth. Instinctively, she bit down hard on the hand. Almost automatically, it was ripped away.

"_Ow_! Did you just bite me?" Damon sounded bemused. "Ric - she bit me."

Ric - a man who looked older than Damon and more rugged - was a little busy, however, to acknowledge Damon as he concentrated on restraining a now murderous-looking Kai, holding a gun to his head. Though, he shot Damon an exasperated look.

"I thought I was the vampire here," Damon continued, wryly, right in her ear. "Biting's my thing."

Skye fidgeted uncomfortably. "It was reflex, sorry." She didn't take to kindly to being grabbed and her mouth being covered.

"No, it's fine since I just decided that I don't care, and you don't get to talk," Damon rebuked, repressed anger now coloring his tone, and he tightened his grip. "You left Bonnie there."

"What? I didn't!" Skye protested, shocked at his reception. "Not willingly."

"You're still helping him."

"Ask him," she insisted indignantly, jerking her head at Kai. "I've probably been more of a hindrance than a help."

But Kai kept his malicious stare trained on the arm Damon had wrapped around her neck.

"Doesn't matter," Damon said, then addressed Ric with his next words. "Kill him."

"No!" The words tumbled out of Skye's mouth before she could think to stop them but her objections were overshadowed by another's - Jo's as she rushed out of the mausoleum, clutching one hand to her injured arm.

"Ric, don't!"

Ric was dumbfounded. "What are you talking about?"

"She's light-headed and confused. I'll give her some of my blood, okay? _Kill him_," Damon insisted.

Kai squirmed, trying to break away, but Ric readjusted his grip on the gun, pressing the barrel more firmly to the back of Kai's head. Skye began struggling against Damon's hold, but not to much avail.

"No, you can't," Jo argued. "If Kai dies, Liv and Luke have to do the Merge. It's not fair to them."

"Who cares?" Damon burst out. "Kill him."

Ric cocked the gun, and Skye, unthinking, struggled with renewed effort until she saw Kai's expression. He appeared less malevolent and more assured now, more arrogant as Ric pressed the gun to his face.

"Ric, don't," Jo begged. "I can win. I can beat Kai." She seemed confident in her declarations.

Kai's face didn't change, however. Skye realized he now held the upper hand again. Even with a gun pressed to his temple, he still held the upper hand. He always did.

"I just need a little time to get stronger," Jo said, less confidently.

"We're moved, truly, " Damon quipped. "Kill him. _Now_."

Kai was smirking, his eyes locked with Skye's, and she could tell he was enthralled in the tension of the moment, waiting for the verdict, sure any threat of his imminent demise was over, knowing he was winning _again_, as Ric shifted, strengthening his hold on Kai, deliberating.

"I'll figure out a way to win," Jo promised, pleading. "_Please_. You have to trust me. Keep him alive."

"_Ric_," Damon warned.

The last sight Skye saw was the butt of the gun coming down hard on Kai's temple, and, oddly, she felt a searing pain in her own temporal region before everything went completely black.

* * *

"I don't know, Damon! You could be right. I've been a little removed from magic for awhile."

"I'm just saying that bitch Katherine - may she rest in hell - did something something similar to Elena once. We stabbed her, Elena got a stab wound, etc. Maybe, the freak did the same to her - linked them for whatever twisted reason."

This is what Skye woke up to, another argument between Jo and Damon. She opened her eyes to find Jo kneeling on the ground of the clearing, bent over her. Damon stood next to her, his arms crossed, looking annoyed.

Skye tried to sit up, and Jo helped her, muttering, "Easy." Her head was pounding again, and she felt dizzy.

"The freak can hear you, and he's wondering why you just don't ask him. " Kai's carried to them from some distance away. "But he'll save you the trouble of over-working your inferior brains. You, for once, were right, Damon. I did bind us - for reasons that are not any of your business."

The sound of his voice cleared her dizziness look enough for something else to take it's place, deep and poisonous - unadulterated rage. Everything suddenly made sense - the mysterious identical hickey on his neck, why she had felt the pain of his injury.

She shot to her feet, ripping her hand out of Jo's. Her vision turned black momentarily, but she strode forward, nonetheless, to find him. She passed over the dirt boundary, finally spotted his feet sticking out from behind a large tombstone. She walked around it and took in the state of him.

"Hey, babe," he said, so nonchalantly, like he wasn't sitting, chained up to a grave.

"You complete and utter bastard."

She aimed a vicious kick at his booted ankle, but cursed as she felt the pain rebound in her own. She nearly shrieked aloud, not from pain but from all the wrath and frustration boiling in her gut, reaching a fever pitch inside of her.

She had to admit it was an evil genius move on his part, assuming that the people here would place any value on her relatively more innocent life. But also risky because _that was all_ it hinged on.

And he just looked so smug. Something inside her splintered.

"Maybe, I should kill myself," she threatened. "Save everyone the grief.".

"Skyler," he growled, the arrogance vacating his expression quickly, his tone brokering no nonsense.

"No, I think I'm an expert at it now..." She was growing hysterical. She could hear it in her own voice, but couldn't stop. "Which do you think will be more effective, Mal? Pills or a shotgun?"

"Skye," Jo cut in, concerned.

"Okay, she's getting on my good side again," Damon said glibly to Ric, who had just walked back onto the scene, gone temporarily escorting Liv back to her car.

Skye didn't even hear them or Ric's arrival, couldn't for the roaring in her ears, entirely focused on the chained, sneering man in front of her.

"Maybe I can use that magic knife of yours, finally slit my throat with it," she taunted further. "That would be poetic, right?"

His fists clenched around the chains, his knuckles turning white. "More like hilariously pathetic," he pronounced. Then, with a mocking smile aimed straight at her, he continued, "Besides, we both know you wouldn't be able to take me out if you tried."

Did he magically forget about all the times she had done just that in the prison world? She knew she was perfectly capable of it, and with that thought in her mind, she decided to call his bluff. Preparing to wrap her hands around his narrow neck, she lunged at him.

A chorus of "Whoa!"s broke out from their audience. She still didn't register them.

Skye's fingers had only brushed his face by the time strong arms were around her midsection, pulling her back off her feet, and dragging her away from the line of tombstones, Kai's boisterous laughter echoing behind them.

She struggled against the person - Ric, she finally saw - and was able to break away, turning back to Kai's direction before she stumbled into Damon's chest. He grabbed her shoulders, and she grunted, grappling with him once more. He didn't even have to strain himself to hold her at bay. Stupid vampires. "Calm down, P.G.," he said. "You might be a very pissed off woman right now, but you're no match for a vampire, trust me."

She jerked back away from him, and he let her go, throwing his hands up in surrender. She started forward again, trying to get around him, but then there was a gentle pressure on her wrist. "Stop, Skye. Please, you'll only end up hurting yourself."

Skye paused to look at Jo, her eyes alight with warm compassion, eyes that were identical to Kai's, and wondered how two people could come from the same place, but be so very different.

"Skye, what did he just call you?" Kai's voice travelled to them again.

He was ignored, as the others stood, staring at her. Ric tensed, ready to catch her if she made another dart in Kai's direction. Jo still worried, her hand still clasped to Skye's wrist. Damon just look entertained, his smirk increased in size at Kai's question. Skye's face was hot from embarrassment.

"Come on, Skye." Jo tugged on her wrist. "You're coming with me and Ric."

Skye didn't resist, and she didn't look back as they departed, leaving Damon behind on the other side of the dirt line.

"See ya soon, babe," Kai called after her.

Her ire was cooling, and extreme anxiety was taking its place, causing a pit in her stomach, the more distance she put between herself and Kai. She hated it - she should've been profoundly relieved for some separation, to be in the hands of people that were stable, that could help her. Yet ... she wasn't at all, not even a bit.

* * *

Alaric and Jo were talking outside of the Jeep they'd led her to while Skye sat in the backseat, her head tipped back against the headrest. She was trying not to eavesdrop and so far she was succeeding in tuning them out. She watched them embrace, Ric wrapping a blanket around Jo that he had pulled out of the car through an open window. She looked away when he kissed her. She was just glad Jo had found somebody that could protect her from this supernatural mess.

Skye came to attention as the car doors opened and Ric and Jo got in.

"You're staying at my place, " Jo told her, turning to face Skye from the passenger seat. "But we're stopping by the hospital first. I need a colleague to stitch me up, and I wanna get you check out."

"I'm fine, there's really no need for that," she reassured. It would be too awkward for her, she hadn't been in that type of situation for almost two decades.

But Jo wasn't having none of it. "I know you didn't get knocked out directly, but you still might have a concussion. Also, I want to bandage that cut on your forehead and get you check over anyway. Who knows what's your immunity's like, after spending all that time in the Prison World." She had a good point, Skye begrudgingly admitted.

So Alaric drove them the forty five minutes back to Whitmore, and dropped them at the hospital. Jo's parting message causing Skye's anxiety to skyrocket. "Don't let him hurt Kai."

Her nerves didn't get better either as she waited on a plastic chair for Jo's friend, a sweet, meek resident she introduced as Jose, to stitch up her arm. Fifteen minutes later, he finished and exited, giving both of them a small smile, then Jo patted the padded, examine table she had just slipped off, telling Skye, "To jump up."

Skye obeyed while Jo walked to the over the cabinet in the corner of the room, retrieving medical items.

"What will they do to him?" Skye asked, not being able to help herself.

Jo didn't pause in her quest. "Ric said they'd lock him up until I'm ready to take him on. I think Damon has a cellar or something designed specifically for supernatural problem-people."

Skye didn't think Kai would take too kindly to that.

Jo walked back over, setting her supplies down on the table beside Skye's legs. "Could you take off your jacket please?"

Skye pulled off her jacket, tossing it to the chair across from her, and Jo gasped loudly. Skye was confused until she saw what had caught the now older woman's attention. The dark green bruises on her wrists - Jo reached out and grabbed her wrists in a delicate grip, studying them. Jo looked up and stared at Skye. Skye couldn't bear the pity she saw there and averted her gaze, cursing Kai in her head.

"When did you get these?" she asked.

Skye shrugged. "A couple days ago."

"Well, they're healing at a normal rate," Jo said, retracting her hands. "That's good. Usually a sign of a normal immune system."

Skye supposed so.

Jo set to work on Skye's cut, swabbing some disinfectant over it before pressing butterfly strips to it. "That bruise should be gone soon, too, then," Jo told her about the bruise on her forehead, accompanying the cut.

Skye thought she saw Jo eyeing the hickey too, but she didn't say anything else, except for when she pulled away and informed that they were done.

Skye jumped down from the table and headed back to the chair to pick up her jacket.

"Skye, I wanted-" Jo broke off.

Skye turned curiously in Jo's direction - the doctor looked hesitant, struggling for words. Finally, Skye saw resolve in her eyes. "I wanted to apologize, actually."

"For what?" Skye asked, nonplussed.

Jo stayed silent for a long, tense moment, which spawned actual cold, gut clenching fear in Skye, before she spoke again. "Skye, I was the one...who talked my father into putting you in the prison world with Kai," she confessed. Skye felt like the air had been sucked clean from her lungs. Like she was going to start choking on her tongue. "My dad would've killed you, Skye," Jo rushed to add. "And I didn't think, back then, that Kai would've harm you since he hadn't that night."

_The harm had been relative that night_, Skye thought, as her panic dissipated.

Jo bowed her head, ashamed. "Obviously, I was wrong about that. So, I am truly sorry."

But Skye was shaking her head vigorously. "You don't have to apologize to me about anything, Josette. None of this was your fault." No, it was Kai's. It would always be Kai's in her eyes.

Jo smiled sadly. "Please call me Jo."

Skye smiled back feebly and nodded, feeling like she couldn't be more exhausted and emotionally drained than she had been on this day, having gone through the full spectrum in just a few hours.

Jo continued pensively, " You know, when I told you were different that day, I had meant that you weren't a witch - like his previous girlfriends who had barely lasted a minute because he stole their magic from them."

Skye dropped to the chair, her body suddenly weak. She wasn't too keen on hearing about Kai's past girlfriends, but she listened anyway, knowing that Jo had a point.

"I thought him being so serious about you - you know, bringing you home to meet all of us - you were the first girl he ever did that with. I just thought it signified that he was beginning to realize he could lead a satisfactory and fulfilling life without magic. A life I wanted, a life I would've done anything for then." She released a bitter laugh. "I guess I overestimated him," she concluded glumly.

A severe overestimation, in Skye's opinion. Skye was guilty of the opposite - an underestimation - of his own hold on his sanity.

Abruptly, there was a knock on the door. Jose peaked his head back in. "There's a phone call for you at the nurse's station, Jo," he said before he retreated, closing the door.

"Excuse me," Jo said, starting for the door. "It's probably Ric, I have to take it."

She left, and Skye took several deep breaths, trying to reign her emotions. She soon felt a vibration at her hip.

Her brow furrowed, she pulled the device she forgot she even had out of her pocket. The letters "KAI" and a number flashed across the screen as it continued to buzz.

Skye gulped and didn't act, though she figured pressing the green button like symbol would connect the call. It stopped buzzing. Several second later, the vibration started again.

Skye was ready to throw it across the room. She was saved from the impulse as Jo re-entered the exam room, looking windswept. Skye pushed the phone back into her pocket hurriedly, hopefully before Jo could notice it.

"Kai got away," Jo informed, breathless.

Skye had already figured that out, and she wasn't surprised.

* * *

_A/N: So I'm really ambivalent about this chapter - I was trying to write it quickly, so sorry if it feels rushed! I hope you guys like it, anyway. _

_Thanks so much to all the people who keep adding Bloodsport to their favorites/follows, it seemed like there was a lot over the last month. Also, as always, big thanks to the reviewers: _

_Courtney-Tamara__: Thank you, here you go!_

_TetraGirl__: Thanks! I hope this installment sates your curiosity a bit more._

_RHatch89__ : Thank you!_

_Livhardy: Thank so much! Hope you like this one._

_VampiresAndLiars__: Thanks! I hope you love this flashback, too._

_julieakaweirdo__: Thank you! I hope this chapter was also worth the wait._

_Steph01924__: I hope you're glad about this one, too! That is coming up, possibly 2 to 3 more chapters from now. _

_Kelly1432__: Lol, thank you! I'm sorry about Tyler, but please rant all you like. I'm always up to trash the writers over their poor choices, especially over decent characters. I'm glad Skye and Kai are the good kind of "cray." I hope you liked Damon's and Skye's reunion._

_Khari: Thank you so much! Your reviews always come when I need them honestly. I'm so glad that _you getit_, everything I try really hard to impart with each chapter. I hope this chapter is up to par for you, I feel like I rushed it. If I did, I'm sorry! _

_sarahmichellegellarfan1__: Thanks! To put simply, at risk of oversimplifying actually, She doesn't have to be his girlfriend to kiss him. _

_Female whovian__: Lol, thank you! I hope you liked this chapter and that Jo's reaction makes sense, in the context._

_NiNa5__: Thanks, hope you like this one!_

_Guest 1: 3? Is that a rating? I don't know what that means, but thanks?..._

_PrincessMagic__: Thank you!_

_Smiling Loki__: Thanks so much! I do know, it's pretty painful. Lol, you're welcome. _

_Guest 2: Here it is! He had some jealous moment this chapter, right? Hope you liked. There will definitely be more to come._

_XxMikealsonForeverxX__: Thank you! I will try. Hope you like it._

_Lizzy B: Thanks! But I have to ask, before this chapter obviously and the last flashback, did I ever give the impression Skye tried to kill Kai, lol? I know she said she wanted him dead, but that's different from trying to kill him herself._

_YoCupcake__: Thank you very much! I feel ya about the drama, I'm getting tired of it too. But thanks for recommending the story! I truly appreciate it! Thanks for the questions about Skye's mental health - I actually write her with two specific mental illnesses in mind though I don't know if I will reveal or directly address what both are. I'm glad you mentioned the suicide thing because it was something I'd already written into in this chapter at the time - when she threatens it and him by extension. It's something she will struggle with. And about Kai realizing how he affects her - I already have a moment written where he does exactly that but it won't come for awhile, until after the merge. : / Sorry! It's interesting that my version of Kai seems more unpredictable because others are also make similar comments, but I don't see it, lol. Anyway, hope you liked this chapter! I look forward to your updates, no matter how long it takes! I understand the struggle, lol, and you're welcome. _

_autumnleaves97: Thank you, lol. Um, Kai's not in love with Skye because he's incapable. Now, his feelings aren't fascination and slight attraction- that was in the very beginning. Now, it's full-blown attachment, but not like how a person would be attached to another person, but how a person would be attached to an object. They'd be possessive, probably obsessed, but also exploitive. Which is not healthy by any means when's it's actually another person involved, and not an object. After the Merge, Kai will work his way up to being capable of pure, romantic love, which is vastly different to what he is capable of now. I hope that makes sense. _

_Katlin: Thank you, lol! I really appreciate your comments, but you already know that. ; ) _

_Beautifulwhisper__: Thank you! I hope you got my last P.M. and I hope you enjoy this update when you find the time to read it! _

_Guest 3: I'm so sorry, but that's extremely flattering! Now, you will be pleasantly surprised to see an update, right?_

_Guest 4: I am too. Actually, your comment made me rethink how I'm going to address it - it evolved the story a bit so thank you! _

_Sweet Summer Sunset__: Thanks for the understanding! Good luck with school, it's a struggle definitely to find the time to balance it all. Of course, you're welcome, I love answering questions. She has been isolated, but that will change the next few chapters. Hope you like this one!_

_Dunder Mifflin: Kai in general does what, exactly? The not knowing has been killing me. Also, is American Horror Story vibes a good thing? Honestly, I was probably unconsciously influenced by it because I do watch it. Please let me know!_


	14. Chapter 14

Set during 6x11, "Woke Up With a Monster"

_Both sides, and softly came the growl from both sides _

_And if his whisper splits the mist _

_Just think of what he's capable of with his kiss _

_he'll talk and make your voice sound high pitched _

_Dread to think if he got you on your own _

_And whispered in your ear in that baritone _

_It's the same stone, his heart was cut out of the same stone _

_That they used to carve his jaw, it's impossible not to feel inferior _

_And he could catapult you back to your daddy _

_Or into any hissing misery _

_And he will tell that the day after a triumph is as hollow _

_As the day after a tragedy _

_He'll extinguish any chance of escape _

_When he slaps you on your arse or kisses your nape _

_And he's leaving without saying 'Bye' _

_There's a dust track waiting for betrayal _

_Where he'll teach you all the bits they missed _

_Nice try, you cannot turn away but nice try _

"_Catapult" - Arctic Monkeys_

**Warning: torture and sexual content**

Chapter 14 - Nice Try

_May 10th, 1994_

_When Skye came to, upside down, with her wrists and ankles bound tightly to bedposts by thick rope, she wasn't as alarmed as she should've been, or that surprised. She sighed out, straining against the ties anyway._

_That morning, when she wandered into the borrowed living room, she hadn't immediately spotted the little origami Yoda sitting on the side table, right on top of the copy of Moby Dick she was currently rereading. However, when she finally did notice it, terror had engulfed her quickly at the sight of it, making her immobile for a long moment. When she had unfroze, she darted back the way she had come, only to run head first into a black-clad chest. She scrambled back. "Kai," she said cautiously. _

_He only grinned savagely, looking every bit like the madmen he revealed himself to be just two years ago, and stalked forward. She ripped a lamp from its socket and threw it at him, but it didn't nothing to stop his advance. He laughed, as he backed her into a corner. Finally, she went to rush past him, kicking at his shin, but he grabbed her, restraining her arms and dragged her body to the wall, which he pinned her against with his much larger form. He put a rag over her mouth, and she struggled until lethargy overcame her, vaguely listening as muttered in her ear about coming across a chloroform recipe._

_Now, she was tied to the bed she had been sleeping in for the last week. She had only been at this mountainside home in Estes Park for a week and already he was here to terrorize her. _

_She stopped her movements when she heard him enter the bedroom, and she tilted her head back so could take him in. He stood at the foot of the bed, a block of cheddar in one hand and a paring knife in the other. _

_"Babe, your fridge selection is pathetic." He cut off a slice of cheese and popped it in his mouth. "But I'll forgive it, I know you weren't expecting company." He giggled as he chewed. _

_She grimaced at the bad joke and fantasized about him choking. "Can you just get on with whatever insane thing you have in mind? I had plans I was actually looking forward to."_

_He snickered, coming around the bed to sit on the edge of the bed, pulling up one leg and facing her. "What? Watching that same episode of Roseanne for the billionth time?"_

_The mattress dipped under his weight, and she could feel the warmth of his body, his hip pressed to her side. He put another piece of cheese in his mouth."It's a good episode -" she broke off as she looked down and saw the same origami Yoda from earlier now sitting on the corner of the end table, right next to her feet. It wasn't even a vague resemblance - there was no mistaking the figure the origami represented, made up of intricate green folds, even sporting a brown paper robe. _

_Kai had picked up the particular hobby after they had exhausted every other method of entertainment the first year - that was his coping mechanism. She'd brood and contemplate another method of suicide and he'd pick up another unusual hobby - mostly stuff regular people never had time to do in the real world because they were busy with actually living - basket weaving, whittling, training himself to solve a Rubik's cube in under ten seconds. Here, however, you begged for a distraction. Usually, Kai was her's, when he was behaving. When he wasn't...well, she ended up in these situations, and her eventual temporary death was an unequivocal relief. That is, when he was feeling generous and actually finished the job. Other times, he'd elect to leave her in anguish, inducing her to either crawl around and find some way to end it herself so her body could regenerate like nothing had ever happened or - if it wasn't too severe- she'd just deal with it and the scars left behind. Sometimes, he'd play nurse and apologize afterward, which confused and enraged her more than him abandoning her to deal with the damage alone. _

_Nevertheless, she knew she was about to be subjected to his absolute favorite pastime. _

_"Nice Yoda," she complimented, stalling despite her bluff before. No one really wanted to be tortured, anyway. But her words now were true - the origami really was impressive. Also, equally impressive was how delicate and meticulous he could be about certain tasks and actions. She just wished he could channel that quality in better ways. Like direct it towards her, perhaps. _

_"Thanks," he said, grinning proudly. "A nice Yoda, I made."_

_She rolled her eyes and arched her back, pulling at her restraints once again. She groaned when the rope just chafed at her skin, but didn't budge. Kai's smile transformed into a smirk and he leaned down, his breathe reaching her nose and fanning her cheeks, rich and cheesy, but not unpleasant. _

_"Roll those big, beautiful, brown eyes at me again, and I might be tempted to cut them out of your head,"he said, sounding entirely too delighted about the prospect. He brought the knife up too for good measure, pressing the blade flat on her lips. "Also, you should probably quit it with the back arches - it's not gonna make me change my mind, if that's your aim." _

_"Then just get it over with," she snapped, her lips sliding against the cool metal as she spoke. _

_He frowned. "It takes the fun out of it, if you're anticipating it."_

_"Oh my god," she sighed. "So part one of the torture must be your mindless chatter."He had retracted the knife and, soon, his fingers were invading the collar of her T-shirt. "Joke's on you, I'm impervious to its effect by n-...now."_

_She had stammered because he had cut a hole in her shirt, then ripped it open down the middle in one quick motion._

_Skye gaped, her only thought: _Well, good thing I put on a bra this morning.

_He smiled broadly down at her, smug, and she drew in a shuddering breath, shaking her head. But then Kai trailed his fingertips on her abdomen, and she lost all of her breath again. _

_"No," she forced out hoarsely, watching him closely, as he kept grazing - so soft it was barely there, ghost-like - his face now hardened and focused on her skin. _

_"I've never told you before," he said finally, his voice low and steady. "Why I chose you, have I?"_

_She hummed absentmindedly, too caught up in the heightened sensation. But then his words registered in the back of her mind, and she said, " Wait, what?" _Chose her?_ Like their relationship had been premeditated on his end, not a chance meeting like she'd always thought - two normal people exploring a undeniably compatible connection. But, now she realized, with a glacial rush of certainty it had been foolish to think that because Kai had never been simply "normal." _

_He dipped a finger in her navel, teasing the edge with his nail. "I started with small animals. You know, rabbits and squirrels in the forest. Little feral kittens that hung around the barn."_

_When the implication and weight of this last statement dawned on her, she stopped breathing, altogether - not like she had lost it again, breathless for a small moment, but like it had been stolen from her and was being held ransom, causing a discomforting suffocation, a tight aching in her chest. _

_He was finally going to reveal it all, and while she had always held a morbid curiosity to learn about his warped perspective, she wasn't sure she wanted to hear it like this, in this way. Partially-bared and vulnerable, no conceivable mode of escape available to her if something went wrong in the confessing._

_Now, he swirled circles around her belly button with his pinky and leant down, kneeling on the side of the bed, until his mouth was suspended over her flesh. He blew gently and her body bowed off the bed of it's own accord. _

_He chortled, his ego stoked by her body's reaction, as her face heated. She kept her gaze on the ceiling, determined to not watch his ministrations now because the sight of him teasing her - no, tormenting her - would just muddle her judgement, and she wanted to hear his over-due explanation._

_Clearing her throat, she attempted to speak steadily. ""Well, I'm glad I didn't get us a dog like a wanted to."_

_His fingers had moved up, now brushing along the ridges of her ribs. "Hmm, I actually like dogs. Now, if you had gotten a cat, it wouldn't have lasted a week."_

_Mentally, she recoiled at the image his words conjured, but he proceeded as if what he'd just said wasn't disturbing. "Anyway, I was ready to move on to bigger prey... and you were perfect. I mean, you would work late at the library, and then you would walk home at night, all alone. You were practically wearing a sign that said, 'Attack me, please.' Didn't anyone ever tell you how dangerous that was? Like you were either really stupid or really brave. "_

_It took her a second to respond as he had started pressing open-mouthed kisses to her side, teeth nipping. "Just really reckless," she murmured, brokenly. _

_How he could still sound so unaffected was beyond her as he continued his less-than-innocent actions and monologue, but it proved how really removed he was from his own conscience and deep emotion._

_He detached his lips with a wet pop. "Whatever, doesn't matter. I hadn't intended to get to know you, but that night I saw you in the library - I don't know, I guess I felt...compelled to approach you. I wanted to know what you were like, I wanted to know if I could take you out. If you were a worthy candidate, I suppose." _

_Here, she looked toward him, saw his expression - hesitant and unsure, looking entirely foreign on his usually carefree face. He had leaned back, removed his hands from her body. But she was relieved for the break, she needed to know, no matter how unsettling troubling the information. _

_"But then time went on and I just ... didn't want to anymore - take you out, that is. And you were good for me, apparently. My parents, Jo - they were so surprised to learn of my new girlfriend. They were just so ecstatic that you were so different to the other girls I dated, as in not a witch." He laughed bitterly, seemingly at a private joke. "They didn't last long..."_

_He met her gaze then, the abject wonder on display there stark and blatant. "But you did," he concluded solemnly. She stared back, her mouth dry. _

_He broke their eye contact, and brought his hands up. He settled them back on her stomach heavily, and she squirmed. _

_He seemed more uncharacteristically subdued as he spoke again, "I guess what I am really trying to say, Skye, is you made me feel less like a freak. " _

_Kai stood then and climbed onto the bed, sat in the space between her outstretched legs, and she tensed."The urges, they lessened." Leaning down, he grinned up at her, the blue-gray of his eyes barely visible, but glimmering, the color so reminiscent of the Rockies outside the window. "And you were super ordinary, but still sorta fascinating. Because you were good, but you weren't innocent or honorable. You were selfish and sarcastic, but you got away with it. " He bent his head, and his lips found their way back to her sensitive flesh, sweeping a line of kisses from the decorative bow of her bra and down. She sighed, and her eyes drifted shut. "You were like magic, in your own right. And, back then, I couldn't get enough."As he talked into her skin, she shivered and writhed, wiggling her hips. His hands shot up to pin them down to the bed, as he sucked a red mark on a fatty spot of her lower stomach. She gasped when he pulled away and the air hit the spot, startlingly cold compared to the wet warmth of his mouth. "Which was probably why I resisted gutting you while you slept beside me every night."_

_She really shouldn't take pleasure in the fact that she was Kai's exception, that the force of her affection had been enough to save her life, but she was. Then again, the effect Kai had on her had always been peculiar - twisted._

_She made a face as she felt Kai pause and lean away. She waited, with bated breath, for his next move, hoping he'd head a little further south, to assuage the persistent ache there. _

_However, his fingers were still slack on her hips before one hand fell away... then returned, dragging something chilly against her abdomen, that soon sliced and an intense stinging. Skye hissed as her eyes snapped open to see Kai resting between her legs casually, concentrated on cutting a red, angry gash into her skin with the knife from his snack earlier. _

_Kai glanced up, his eyes narrow and expression dark. "But when the time came to claim my birthright, all you really did was take me off my A game," he said grimly. "And I kinda hate you for it, babe."_

_Skye started thrashing then, but it did no good, and he tore into her flesh with more ferocity - craving vicious, jagged squares, peeling the skin back and slicing it off while she consciously tried to not let the distressed sounds leaving her mouth escalate into loud screams, straining against her bindings desperately. _

_Eventually, when parts of the sheet directly below her were soaked with blood and her whole abdomen was littered with small pink patches, muscle and organ tissue exposed, Kai moved from between her legs and jumped to the floor. _

_She had stopped tracking his movements long ago when her head had started swimming, dizzy with white-hot pain, and her nerves had ignited, an unbearable fire that had to be 3,000 degrees at least. _

_At present, she was just waiting for it to be over, unaware of her own whimpers and groans, and how they affected Kai - feeding him, causing goosebumps down his spine. _

_The last thing she remembered was his face as he stood behind the footboard of the bed. She had an idle thought that, through her hazy vision and foggy, unreliable brain, he looked like an alien, bent over her as she laid upside down - his eyes where his mouth should be and vice-versa. _

_He untied her, setting to work on flaying her fingertips, but, by then, she was too weak to even realize she was free._

_He was there when she revived, sitting at the edge of the bed again, his body bowed over her healed body, Moby Dick open in his hands. His eyebrow drawn together, he studied a passage. He was probably compiling tips from Captain Ahab on how to be a raving lunatic. Skye thought it would be prudent to nip that in the bud, so she reached up and knocked the book out of his hands. He snickered._

_He stopped snickering when she lashed out, her fist connecting with his jaw, creating an audible crack. _

_"So," he began conversationally with a crooked jaw, after he had successfully trapped her back down against the bed again, and she had given up her useless fight. "Your body shut down from shock before I even got to your toes. It was _awesome_!"_

* * *

Skye was back at the massive Salvatore Boarding house, and she's wasn't sure how she felt about it.

As she paced around, trying to keep out of Liv's and Jo's way as the latter tried and failed repeatedly to light a candle with her magic, she noticed differences in the decor - for instance, the dining table where Bonnie had performed the locator spell was now replaced with a pool table. Some paintings and a rug or two were different, but no less gaudy in her opinion. The writing desk was also gone.

The really buff boy who'd just walked through the foyer with only a towel around his waist was definitely new, though. He barely glanced in at them as he passed. She poked her head around the corner, watching him walk away.

"Down, girl," she heard a voice from behind her. "That's Jeremy, Bonnie's man."

Liv stood in the living room, her arms crossed, one eyebrow raised. Judging her, most likely. Jo was busy concentrating on her task in the background, one hand hovering over a still stubbornly unlit wick.

"That's Bonnie's boyfriend?" Skye asked, coming forward, unembarrassed at having been caught in her perusal. Mostly because she had not been checking him out (she preferred leaner body types) but simply curious. She remembered Damon mentioning he had a brother during their time in the Prison World - Stefan - she was hoping to run into to him. He seemed interesting from the story he told him - a moral vampire who struggled with his baser instincts.

Liv shrugged. "Sort of. I honestly don't know the status of their relationship - it's kinda hard to tell when one's of them stuck in an alternate dimension. From what I've heard from Tyler and seen, though, he's sure not spending his nights alone."

_Poor Bonnie_, Skye thought, feeling discernible pang in her chest. _Did anyone care about this girl? _

"Speaking of Bonnie," she said, purposefully letting some of her own aggression on Bonnie's behalf seep into her tone. "Has anyone even tried to help her? To get her the hell out of there?"

"I tried a spell. I sent Damon and Elena over there, and they were supposed to be bring her back with them."

"And it didn't work out because...?" Skye prompted somewhat rudely, aware of the fact that she was probably headed into dangerous territory getting into it with Liv, but couldn't find it in herself to care. This conversation was reminding her a lot of her exasperating conversation with Tyler just a few days before.

Liv bristled. "It didn't work out because my crazy ass brother attacked me at my job."

"Kai?" Skye questioned without thought, in disbelief.

Liv's answering look was withering. "No, Luke. Of course it was Kai. Are you high?"

Skye took a deep breathe, her angry deflating. Kai _would _have something to do with it. "When?"

"The other day, he came to the bar I work out and chased me around, stole my magic. Tyler showed up just in time, pushed him off a balcony..."

And that's why she had found him behind the bar, with damage balcony railing above his head, and blood dribbling out of his mouth. God, if she known what he had planned, she certainly wouldn't have taken off on the useless library trip. But if she had stuck around and gone into the bar with him, what could she've done while he terrorized Liv? Probably not much, she guessed, feeling weary of being so ineffectual.

Liv was still going, "... so knowing that he was on the loose, I pulled them out the spell early before Bonnie could get to them."

Skye sighed. So exhausted of Kai being the unyielding antagonistic force, ruining every last thing. "Well, thank you, at least...for trying," she said finally. She was sincere, even attempting a smile.

However, "Whatever," was the passive-aggressive response she received.

"Uh, guys," Jo called out tentatively to them, her gaze trained on the small fire that had sprang up on the surface of the table in front of her. "Is setting the table runner on fire progress?"

Liv rushed towards the flames, waving her hand, dousing them effortlessly.

Skye spent the next five minutes watching more of the same from the two witches - Liv cleaning up the messes Jo's erratic magic was causing until Damon appeared in the foyer, overlooking the scene and his wrecked living room with a resigned despair.

"So while you ladies practice your witchy woo, and you do whatever it is you do, P.G., I'm going to visit a very dear, very sick friend," he told them. "Stefan's here. If you need something, ask him. Don't call me unless you absolutely need me - and that's means somebody better be bleeding or missing a limb. I won't be long."

He gave them a smirk then turned on his heel.

"Wait, Damon," Skye called out, trailing after him as he headed to the door.

He paused, his hand on the doorknob, but he practically radiated impatience as she reached him, so she spoke quickly, "I wanted to talk to you about Bonnie. Liv said you guys tried a spell to get her out, but she couldn't keep it going. Do you think we could try it again?"

"Well, we would've been able to," he said, snide. "But now we can't."

"Why not?"

"Talk to your boyfriend about it," he said, opening the door.

"Wait, what does that mean?"

"It means that we had the Ascendant then Mr. Crazy Pants came along and broke it into itty bitty pieces," he said, as he faced her, gesticulating wildly with his arms. "Then, for good measure, he set it on fire. Along with my girlfriend." Here, his face dropped and he muttered, "Who blew me off last night and is now ignoring me."

"He did?" She shouldn't be surprised anymore, but Kai had been more productive than she had known. "When?"

Damon composed himself, straightening. "Right after Liv broke the spell. I asked him where you were at. He said, and I quote, 'Don't worry, she's safe.' So where were you at? Chained to some sleazy motel bed?"

Skye shrugged. "It's hard to tell. I've spent a lot of time knocked out." If Damon had been bothered by her statement just then, the only indication of it was the movement of one his eyebrows.

"But that doesn't matter now," Skye dismissed, waving her hand. "Tell your friend that I hope they feel better."

He eyed her briefly, then he nodded his farewell and walked out of the door.

She stepped back into the living room, and plopped down on one of the over-stuffed couches, as Jo persevered in her training session, which quickly escalated, ending in a small, charred hole in Liv's shirt and a broken vase.

Liv stumbled away into the foyer, where she addressed an unseen figure, asking about borrowing a new shirt.

The person directed her to Damon's room then came into view as he surveyed their makeshift training camp with furrowed brow and a surprised jerk of the head. A tall, lean man with serious eyes and impressive hair, though still dressed in pajamas. This must be Stefan. _Were all vampires attractive? Was it a requirement to become one? Or did becoming one make them so? _Skye wondered. She supposed it was, perhaps, the allure of a predator. Nonetheless, he was more what she had in mind when picturing what Damon's brother would look like, though he didn't resemble Damon much.

"What are you doing in my house?" he asked a sheepish Jo.

"Fire spell," she said. "Sort of."

He sauntered down the stairs, surveying the damage - overturned furniture, a flickering lamp, broken glassware, and books askew on the floor. Skye stood from the couch, as Jo proceeded to explain, "As it turns out, getting back in touch with magic isn't anything like riding a bike."

Stefan "huh"ed in replay.

"I am sorry about that vase, though," Jo apologized. "What that expensive?"

"I don't know, but the Smithsonian would," he said. "You should call them."

Jo looked appropriately chastised. Skye felt a little bad for her.

Stefan soon turned to Skye, and raised an inquiring brow. "And a new face. Hello, new face."

"This is Skyler, my-" Jo hesitated, trailing off, sparing her an unsure glance.

"Just Skye," Skye intervened with a polite smile. "Just a friend."

Jo shot her a grateful look.

Stefan nodded, and stuck out a hand to her. It took Skye a moment to realize what he'd meant by the gesture. She had spent so much time in the Prison World, she had kind of forgotten basic customs. She extended hers - his handshake was gentle and refreshing in a way - she was too used to men - one man, really - trying to crush her hand.

"A witch too, I presume?" he said as he stepped back, withdrawing his hand.

Skye almost snorted. "Nope, just a regular human."

He seemed confused for a second by her supernatural status, but she couldn't ruminate on it too long, as she felt a vibration at her hip again, and her heart stopped beating for a moment.

"Could I use one of your bathrooms?"

"Sure," he answered, pointing behind him. "There's one -"

"I know where they are," she interrupted. She smiled at the look of[misgiving that crossed his face before she walked away. The door opened just as she walked past it, Alaric (Skye had found out Ric's full name last night and she preferred it) walking in with a paper bag against his chest.

"Oh, thank god, breakfast," she heard Jo say. "Please tell me you brought mimosas."

Alaric rejoined, "You actually think I'd watch this sober?"

Releasing a small chuckle, Skye ascended the stairs, headed to the second-floor bathroom. She figured she'd be allowed more privacy up there. It hadn't changed that much, just updated with more modern fixtures. She sat on the toilet lid, and pulled out her cell phone. She swiped a finger across it to see that several notifications were on the screen.

34 missed calls - all from one number, the only contact in her phone. 10 percent battery. Skye unlocked the phone (she had watched Jo use her own phone last night, and caught on to some tricks), but mostly it was guesswork based on context clues.

She clicked on the name then, swallowing, she pressed the green button, connected the call, and waited.

"_Finally_! You know, I didn't give you a phone just -"

She cut him off heatedly. "You broke the Ascendant... it's not enough that you stole her magic. _Twice_. Shot her with an arrow and stabbed her. No, you broke the Ascendant!"

He exhaled a long-suffering sigh. "I did that so it could never be used on us again - "

"No, you did it so it couldn't be used on _you_. Let's be honest."

"Yes, let's be honest, babe. Why does she matter to you? You knew her for, like, three days," he said, his voice sounding an awful lot like it had in the hallway of his house, when she was holding him at bay with a switchblade and he had expressed an murderous jealousy of Bonnie. As she stayed silent, too much rage building in her for her to even formulate a proper response, he then added offhandedly, "The three days you were conscious, anyway."

Just when she thought it was impossible to feel more angry. "Because she's a person, Kai. In a shitty situation that I survived. I don't have to know her well to empathize with her. Besides, I know her well enough to know she doesn't deserve to be there, _unlike some other person I could mention_."

Kai was silent, miraculously. The only sound coming through the receiver the sound of his deep, slow breathing.

"Why did you even bring me with you?" she continued, on a whim. It was so much easier to talk on the phone with him, she felt so much braver - ready to broach topics she never could to his face.

But then the silence became prolonged, and she wished that she could see his face. "I mean, it would've been so much easier for you to have simply left me behind."

"You know how I feel about challenges, babe. Can't resist them...or they can't resist me. One of the two." She could even imagine the hand gesture accompanying that last remark. "But that's boring. Let's talk about something more interesting. Like all the magic literally leaking out of me."

Jo had told her about all about how he sucked up the spell keeping supernaturals out of Mystic Fall like a Hoover and gotten away from his captors, as they had driven to the older woman's apartment from the hospital the day before.

Kai continued,"It's a little wild. I'm trying to get a handle on it - I've got a nice little guinea pig here to help me out."

Skye went cold. "Kai."

"Don't worry - she's got a quick recovery time."

Skye waited a beat, her heart thudding erratically. "Who is it?"

"Elena," she could hear his smirk. "Damon's girlfriend."

So Damon hadn't been blown off after all.

"Great, now we can add kidnapping to the list," she said sardonically.

"Um, pretty sure kidnappings already been on the list for over 48 hours now. Besides, in this case, I think the correct term is vamp-napping," he returned. "But we digress. Where were we?...Oh, right. Magic."

"I don't care about the magic you stole, Kai," she burst out.

"Oh, but you should care about what it can do for you, babe," he said lowly, his tone lilting with dark promise. Goosebumps erupted along her arms. "Or rather... what I can do for you with it."

She waited because she knew he wouldn't appreciate her cutting into his theatrics.

"Magic is useful for a lot of things," Kai went on. "I mean, you've seen first hand how handy locator spells can be. Just one drop of blood or a strand of hair, a map, and some Latin that would take me a millisecond to recite and _voila_! - you'd be headed towards your mom, your sister, and baby Anthony in no time."

She had stopped breathing as soon as he had even mentioned "locator spell," intuiting where he was headed with the proposal. Because it was the one thing he could actually hold over her, the only leverage she would respond to. That pesky hope had popped up again strong inside her, but it was battered down by doubt almost immediately.

She finally took in a shaky breath. "What's the catch, Mal?"

"No catch," Kai assured causally . "You just have to be on my side, with all the conditions we discussed before. Except this time, you have to actually follow them."

"I don't know if I can do that," she admitted.

He laughed. "You can do. You just think you can't because you over-complicate it. It's really simple - just don't step in between me and the person I'm threatening. Don't yell at me or tell me to stop because we both know it's pointless. Don't suck up to my siblings and the Mystic Falls gang like you're long lost best friends. Trust that I know what I'm doing, Skye." His voice had started off light and amused, but gained a cold conviction as he went on.

Skye's mind whirled. "And how can I trust that you're going to follow through with the spell?"

"I'll give you what you want as soon I get what I want," he said. "Once I Merge, I'll perform it for you." He sounded so earnest, so unlike himself that she was inclined to believe him - but that's what he wanted. "Also, you're gonna have to come to me. Soon, preferably. I'm at the high school, and nobody's here. I need some entertainment," he whined, back to himself. "Not in the form of a yappy vampire who can't even withstand a blood acid spell."

She didn't even know where the high school was. And if she was actually considering taking his offer, it was something she couldn't share with the others. She'd have to sneak out, unnoticed, and she doubted that could be easily done, surrounded by witches and vampires as she was.

But she was seized by another moment of doubt...and that dumb bravery again. "What insurance do I have that you won't just kill me after you get what you want, huh?" _That you'll let me go?_ she quietly added in her head, because this whole damn phone call was proof enough that he seemed incapable of it. She figured he'd rather she be dead, and that was really what he was promising her with this deal. But that didn't bother her as much as the other question nagging her: what could he possibly gain by having her stay close to him?

"I don't think that's a problem now, babe."

She snorted. "Yeah, now. Now that your life's tied to mine, it's not a problem. Because it would mean killing yourself."

Okay, besides ensuring his own safety?

"Just so you know, the binding is reversible at anytime. " That information only served to reinforce her belief that agreeing would be the equivalent of signing her own death certificate. But it also only made his motivation for the deal itself more ambiguous. He didn't need her by his side to kill her in the end, but he also didn't need her by his side at all. "Regardless... I wouldn't kill you. Not for real. I mean, who else could keep up with my special brand of cutting wit and charming eccentricities?"

She harrumphed, distrusting. "I think I still like my chances with the vampires better."

"They're not your friends, Skye." He had dropped all pretenses of his good humor, frustration taking it's place. "At best, they're using you to get to me. I thought you were smart enough to figure that one out."

She shook her head vigorously, despite the fact he wasn't able to see her action.

"I've got to go," she said.

"Wait, don't you have any more completely unnecessary and tedious questions you wanna ask me?"

Skye had never had the spontaneous urge to both laugh and cry simultaneously until that moment. She did neither, however, and after a tense moment, only asked him quietly, "I'm never getting away from you, am I?" Even to her own ears, she sounded more resigned than anything as she posed the question.

"I'm glad that you're finally grasping the concept," he quipped. "It only took you twenty years."

"Kai -"she started, but he cut her off.

"Gotta go. Princess Peach is rousing," he said. "And I expect to see you by the end of the day." He hung up before she could say anything else. He was so certain she'd drop everything and run to him.

But she wasn't ready to accept the offer, no matter how enticing it was. Damon deserved to know his girlfriend was probably being tortured at this very moment.

However, she need a few moments to gather herself. She ran through her hands through her hair, taking deep breathes. Soon, she was sweating - she hadn't realized just how affected her nerves had been by the phone call. She only grew more uncomfortably hot, could actually feel the heat radiating off her skin like a sunburn and shrugged off her jacket.

She stood and walked to the sink, ran the water until it was ice cold, and then started dipping her face into the pool she made in her hands. She repeated this until she felt better, less miserably hot and more at a normal temperature.

That's when she decided to find her way back downstairs. She was turning the corner of the foyer, her mouth already open to inform everyone just what was happening to Elena, when she spotted Damon from behind, his phone pressed to his ear, saying, "Whoa, Elena."

Seemed like Princess Peach had gotten there first.

* * *

As Kai walked the halls of Mystic Falls High School, he decided he couldn't be mad at Elena for setting him on fire - it was the most impressive thing he had seen her do. Luckily for her, the Traveller's magic had protected him.

He was just a little annoyed, mostly because he had to find a new shirt. That was easily amended - he found a whole box of them in the school's office. They had the school's logo and mascot plastered on the front, but it would do for now. He then also grabbed a soda from the vending machine down the hall because he needed the refreshment. Dealing with runaway vampires and rogue magic was tiring work. Not to mention the small feat of tying said vampire up to a cafeteria table with vervain-soaked rope.

It was fortunate he had the foresight to procure the rope and liquidized herb yesterday after he escaped his would-be captors because he had been seething with rage at the time. Being chained up and having his favorite toy taken away from him tended to have that effect.

However, he was only half-willing to admit his present, mild annoyance might've already existed before Elena set him on fire, before she had even woken up from her little nap, after he had busted some capillaries in her brain and before he had later chased her and snapped her neck. It was connected to the illicit phone call he had received from said favorite toy, who got off on being incredibly difficult and contrary apparently. But, he reasoned, he had already known that.

He kept walking, peeking into various classroom through the windows of the doors, jiggling the doorknobs, trying their locks.

Most were locked, when he finally came to one that wasn't, he was almost surprised.

Stepping in, with a swipe of the hand, he turned on the lights. It was a history classroom, which was convenient for the next spell he had in mind.

Taking a swig of Mountain Dew, he set it on the edge of the teacher's desk, situated at the front of the room. Kai figured he needed to try his hand at some low-level magic, since it seemed he was finally getting the hang of the defensive spells.

He turned to the adjacent wall, ripping down the sizable map of the United States from shoved all the items off the desk to the floor, before spreading the map across it. He smoothed the edges until it lay flat, then paused, biting his lip.

Kai needed an element to draw from, and while he preferred fire, like most witches, he was also doubting very seriously that a history classroom would contain any candles.

Sighing, he grabbed the pencil cup from the floor, kicking the pens and pencil that had spilled from it out of his path.

He went the bathroom across the hall, where he filled the cup with water from the sink.

Once back in the classroom, he dribbled some of the water on all the edges of the map, sealing it to the tabletop.

Next, he took out his butterfly knife and nicked his finger, squeezing the blood from his fingertip onto the middle of the map until it made a considerable pool.

He wasn't really sure how accurate this spell was going to be because he didn't really have any straight traces of Skye's DNA, but he reckoned, courtesy of the link, her blood was intermingled with his - it was the agent that bound them, and it should do.

So it was no wonder, when he began chanting, "_Phasmatos Tribum Nas Ex Veras, Sequita Saguines, Phasmatos Tribum Nas Ex Veras, Sequita Saguines__,_" and poised his hand over the pool, it started moving and splitting, headed in two different directions. One stream moved predictably towards Virginia, where the majority of his family now resided. The other moved steadily northwest - splitting again into two separate branches when it reached Oregon's border. One ended at Portland while the other settled over the star demarcation of Salem, staining it a deep red.

He huffed out a laugh, not the least bit surprised that her family had stayed put.

Grabbing his soda, he abandoned the disorderly classroom and headed back to the cafeteria.

Once there, he found Elena stirring, pulling at her bindings. He took a drink as she winced, no doubt against the burn of the vervain on her skin.

Finally, she looked up.

"Oh, hello," he greeted amiably.

She glanced at his chest. "Nice shirt."

"Oh, thanks," Kai said, playing along. "Yeah, somebody burned my other one."

She smirked, while he continued, "Which was awesome, by the way. I am starting to see why Damon digs you, you are crazy pants." The smirk dropped from her face, and Kai chuckled. "Ugh, it sucks about that shirt though," he added, offhandedly.

Elena's screwed up, appalled at the comment."So you can care about an inanimate object, but not the people that you kill?"

Kai took another drink of soda, all nonchalance. But, internally, he was laughing his ass off because it had been a long time since he had come across a person this naive. Somebody who thought she had tamed vampire and made them cuddly, that she was more special than others.

"Is this gonna be like an episode of _Ricki Lake_? Where I come face to face with my demons and change for the better?" he finally asked, walking forward until he was at her feet, crouching down to be her space. He was eager to put her in her place, intimidate or scare her because she needed it. Needed to remember just how unexceptional she was.

"Have you really not cared about anyone?" she demanded gently, like she pitied him, but mostly in disbelief.

Kai paused, as, unbidden, Skye's face popped into his head - dark, hostile eyes glinting meanly and a sarcastic smile.

"I like Skye," he told her, "when she does what I want."

"What happens when she's doesn't?"

He grinned. "Fun things."

She shot him a look of disgust. "Not fun for her, I'm guessing."

He shrugged. "Tell me, do you and Damon operate on one brain together? Because you both seem oddly invested in my relationship."

At least Skye had a brain - granted, she probably didn't use it 100 percent of the time. But, he knew by now, that was advantageous to him.

Elena scowled, but ignored the barb. She persisted, "It doesn't bother you when you hurt her? What if she died, would it matter to you?"

While stifling his building sense of irritation, Kai mulled it over. He had been the one to meet all their basic needs when they had escaped the prison world - actually, when _he _had broken them both out. _He _had also provided the shelter, the food, and the clothing. _He _had bought them cellphones in an attempt to acclimate them to their new environment. In all honesty, Skye had really done nothing all of the time they'd been out...except complain or interfere with his good efforts. Then she had walked away from him just yesterday, like it had cost her nothing. She had really just proven herself completely worthless and useless to him, so why he did spend all day yesterday evening and all night and this morning blowing up her phone? Why did he offer her a deal where she would get everything she wanted and he would receive nothing worthwhile in return? Why did his brain suddenly go all red and hazy when he thought of Damon anywhere in her vicinity, whispering insults against him in her ear?

But Elena was wrong because he still wanted to hurt her - the urge for it like his urge to breathe, his heart to beat - perfectly natural to him.

For the first time, he almost missed the Prison World, where he could harm Skye without any reservations.

Kai glanced up from the tile floor, where his gaze had dropped during his reverie. Once he realized he had been absentmindedly flicking his fingers against the tab of the can he was still holding, he stopped. Elena stared intently and pointedly, awaiting an answer. "One time -" he began quietly. Elena sat a little straightener, attentive. "- a very long time ago, before the Prison World, Skye got into a car accident with my car. T-boned on the driver's side at an intersection because some asshole ran a stop sign," he said scornfully. Elena's expression softened. "She was rushed to the hospital. And I didn't even know anything about it until three hours later - it was a different time then, our phones were attached to wires and mounted to walls, not conveniently pocket-shaped and portable. I remember that phone call, when I was finally back at our apartment to receive it. I remember the...panic, I guess it was. So naturally, I ran to the hospital," he informed her gravely. "Only to find out she was fine, just some minor contusions and abrasions. I think that's one of my favorite memories - finding out that she was okay," he finished with a small smile.

Elena smiled back. "See."

He smirked, slowly. "Too bad it never happened."

It took a moment for his statement to register, but then realization dawned and the smile faltered. He started guffawing while she watched him, her face fliting between dismay and revulsion. It took him a full minute to calm down, because he kept glancing back at her, as she glowered, and starting again, but he settled down eventually.

"_God_, I had you so good," he jeered, allowing a few more small laughs to leave him. "But in the interest of answering your so very serious questions, I tell you my real favorite memory of Skye."

Elena rolled her eyes. "And you think I'll believe you this time?"

"You should because it's real. My favorite memory of Skye," he said, serious, "is the day I got to drain her dry for the first time."

He was telling the truth - it was his favorite memory and he remembered it so vividly. He had made a bunch of small incisions all along the most sensitive parts of her body and, while she had whimpered small sounds because she was too proud for anything louder, he had stood by, attentively, all too fascinated to watch the red vitality leak out of her.

She had been the only alive thing to murder in that desolate, empty world. His to destroy, his to build back up... only to destroy again - because you were supposed to kill things for a dead world, because you kill things when you're dead, but you still have a body and you're still breathing. And Skye had been alive, vibrantly so, pulsating with an energy purer than his own. He had needed to know he could still damage and take, be destructive. But without consequences.

Elena sneered, and he knew he had finally gotten to her in the way he wanted. Made her realize that a person, when vastly superior to her, wasn't easily amendable to her standards. Now, he could bring it home. "You don't have to waste your time trying to change me," he told her. "If Ricki taught me anything, it's that liking yourself is the most important thing. And I like me. Skye likes me, too...no matter how much I hurt her."

He brought his eyes back down to the can in his hand, frowning.

Except now, he couldn't hurt her without risking her life... and, well, that was a problem.

* * *

Damon pulled the Camaro to a stop behind the high school, next to a school bus. The back of the building was sparse, only featuring a loading dock, a door, a lonely picnic table off to the side, and a groudy dumpster, reminding Skye bleakly of her high school days.

"I still don't understand why I had to be here," Liv grouched as she opened the door of the passenger seat and stepped out, Skye and Damon following suit.

"Because you're the only one with a working magic ability," Damon said, coming to a stop a few feet from the bumper.

"We don't need magic, just throw her at him," Liv replied, waving a hand at Skye.

Skye flushed, remembering that Liv had been off retrieving a new shirt while she had talked on the phone with Kai, and not in the living room like the rest. Had the witch heard her conversation with him? But Stefan had directed her to Damon's room on the first floor, and Skye had been on the second.

She calmed, scowling at at Liv instead. "I think you overestimate the affection your brother has for me."

"You both seemed pretty cozy with each other yesterday," Liv retorted. "What with all the loaded looks, secret communication, matching hickeys, and cutesy pet names."

"Ew," Damon chimed in, wrinkling his nose.

"I know, I wanted to barf," Liv said, slamming her bag down on the hood. "Honestly, I think we should just send her in there alone, she could probably convince him to give back Elena faster than I could perform the cloaking spell."

"Now, you're overestimating the sway I have over him," Skye interjected as she thought she saw Damon shudder, grossed out no doubt. She was unbothered however because as far as she was concerned, the joke was on Liv.

"Can you two shut up and do the stupid spell? I have a girlfriend to grab and you have my mansion to wreck." Damon cut in.

"Whatever," Live huffed, as she started pulling out her witch paraphernalia- her Grimoire and candles.

"Wait, what are you doing?" Damon demanded. "The back door's right here."

"I'm not going in there," Liv told him.

"What?"

"If Kai even glimpses me, I'm dead," she reasoned. _Probably accurate_, Skye thought. They didn't need to have a telepathic link forged between them to know that he doubtlessly wasn't too happy about how yesterday went down. "I'm strong enough to do the spell out here."

"Whatever," Damon dismissed. "I hope you cloak better than you teach."

Skye laughed, for which she received a glare from Liv.

"Because from the looks of my living room, Jo's not learning much," Damon snarked.

"Relax, with a bit of practice, she'll be merge-ready in no time." Liv didn't look very confident in her words, Skye observed.

Liv started chanting, and Skye moved closer to Damon, who approached the back door cautiously.

All of a sudden, Liv's voice was cut off. Immediately, Skye and Damon spun around to find her person missing, the only trace of her presence her witch supplies still spread on the hood of the car.

"Liv?" Damon stage-whispered. "Hey, Liv?"

"Liv?" Skye called.

"Sorry," said a voice abruptly from behind them. Skye and Damon turned again to see whom it belonged to: Luke, who looked especially unimpressed with them. "She doesn't have time for this. _Invisique_."

With that cryptic message, he also disappeared. "No!" Damon protested, trying desperately to clutch thin air, but to no avail.

Skye just smiled, staring at the space Luke had occupied, glad one man in the Parker family finally had their priorities straight.

"Damn it," Damon hissed, pulling out his phone. Glancing at Skye, he dialed then held the device up between them, pressing another button, and she could hear the ringing on the other end.

Then, came the sound of Alaric's voice. "Hello?"

"So Liv's gone," Damon said. "I need a plan B."

"Wait? What do you mean she's gone?"

"Luke took her," Skye answered. "I think he was worried about her." Damon sent her a peeved look, telling her that Luke's motivation was the least of their concerns right at the moment.

"And we can't just go blazing in there, Kai will kill Elena to spite me," Damon contended. Skye wondered what he'd do to her. Not something very appealing, she'd hazard. "I need a witch."

"I can do it," Skye heard Jo immediately offer.

"You can barely light a candle," Alaric argued.

"Correction," Skye said. "She can light everything but a candle on fire. You're just limiting her. I have faith in her."

"Thanks, Skye. No, cloaking is one of the very first things they teach you as a Gemini," Jo said breezily. "I learned it when I was a kid."

"But..." Alaric prompted.

"I'll have to stay beside Damon while I do it," Jo hedged, "which means I'll have to go inside."

"Okay, look - there's got to be some other option," Alaric said, reluctant.

"There is," a new voice interrupted. "Right here." Skye's brow furrowed as she looked to Damon for clarification.

He rolled his eyes. "Let me guess, Jeremy's holding a crossbow."

Panic clogged Skye's throat at the mention of the weapon.

"No one is killing Kai," Jo declared emphatically. The panic dissipated a little, but let a wary anxiety in its wake.

"Well, we're not letting Kai kill Elena," Jeremy countered.

"Nobody's letting anyone die," Alaric announced loudly over them. Skye still felt anxious, despite his words.

"Anyone have any other ideas?" Damon asked and there was silence. "No? Then round up the gang and head to the high school."

Damon hung up before he received a reply, frowning in thought.

"So this is my real plan B," he said finally, turning to her. "Because I don't trust Alaric's new girlfriend to not suck at magic. I sorta liked you, P.G. but let's face it, your boyfriend's a menace that needs to be put down. And, frankly, you're more expendable than the woman I love."

He reached out and grasped her shoulders, tightening his grip when she tried to pull away instinctively, alarmed.

"What are yo-"

But she was cut off, as Damon leaned in, making close eye contact. "Skye, listen to me."

Skye stopped struggling instantly, confused, focusing on the gray of Damon's eyes.

She stayed completely still, as he pulled back, though not breaking eye contact, and drew a pocket knife from the inside of his leather jacket.

"you are going to take this very sharp knife and slash it across your boyfriend's throat." He grabbed her hand and gave her the object, folding her fingers over it. She didn't make an indication that she heard, however. "Do you hear me, Skye?"

She nodded mechanically.

"When I give you the word, I'll say 'do it, Skye.' And you'll cut his throat."

She only nodded again, bewilderment still clouding her eyes.

(break)

Kai now sat, cross-legged, staring at Elena. Rather in her general direction, contemplating.

It hadn't taken her very long to recover from the neck snapping. Just 30 minutes. He was starting to think, maybe, vampirism had it perks after all.

'If the spell that you're going for is to creep me out, it's working," Elena said, making him start, on the interior. Honestly, he had zoned out, too absorbed by his problem from earlier and musing over possible solutions to fix it. He was leaning towards one, specifically.

"Fine," he said. "Tell me, Elena, how did one such as yourself became an undead bloodsucker?" She eyed him suspiciously then opened her mouth but he threw up his hands. "Wait, skip all the boring details, just tell me the basics."

"Of how a vampire's created? Why do you want to know?"

"Call it morbid curiosity," he shrugged. "Call it sheer boredom because you're about as entertaining as watching paint dry."

She looked uncertain, but he guessed she couldn't' see the harm in telling him. "You have to die with vampire blood in your system. I was in a car accident - the car I was in got ran off the road - "

"Wait," he interrupted. "That's it? Not some weird ritual that involves the sacrifice of a virgin or something? A cute, furry animal, at least?" It seemed too simple, and not at what he'd expected his whole life, when he thought about it casually from time to time. The Gemini coven had been experts on vampire details where it had concerned defense, but not when it came to other aspects of vampiric life.

Elena sighed loudly, clearly not appreciating his ignorance. Or, perhaps, put out that she couldn't finish her vampire origin story.

In any case, he didn't really care. If some vampire blood and a lame death was all it took, he was definitely up for it now.

Kai raised his hand, one finger out, tracing a line in the air.

Elena hissed as a cut appeared on her cheek. "Ow, ow," she complained. Undeterred, Kai swiped two more slashes in the air, until a discernible, bloody "K" was visible on her skin.

He smiled, proud of his work, imaging the same letter marring a different cheek.

Almost instantaneously, Elena's skin repaired itself, the only indication she had been hurt a small smudge of blood lingering on her flesh.

It was going to be so perfect.

He picked up the soda can he had set aside on the floor earlier and chugged the rest of its contents.

Standing up, he walked around Elena until he was at her back. She leaned away from his nearness but was not able to go far.

He drew another line on the exposed skin of one of her bound arm with his magic, adding a punch of extra energy, so the cut went deeper and let her blood drip in the can.

"What are you doing?" she asked, mystified.

"Nothing," he said dismissively. He watched, fascinated again, as her skin knit back quickly. Yes, there were a lot of perks to vampirism, most of which he'd just observed today - _durability_, most importantly, speed, and strength. Plus, the few other he knew of, but hadn't necessarily witnessed first hand yet - immortality... a thirst for blood, a propensity for violence.

Skye was going to be completely suited for it, and then a valuable asset totally suitable to him. "Just solving a problem."

* * *

"I can hear Kai yammering," Damon notified Jo and Skye as they traversed the halls of the high school carefully, picking their way over fallen fixtures, under flickering fluorescent lights. He even mimed an obnoxious talking motion with his hand.

Skye led the group because, while she didn't even know the building, Damon had said it was safer just in case Jo's magic failed them. Apparently, he also thought - wrongly, in Skye's opinion - that Kai would be less inclined to murder them or Elena on sight if she got to him first.

"What's he saying?" Jo inquired.

"He said," Damon whispered. "'It's a shame you don't have vamp hearing.'"

"Dick," Skye muttered.

"Heard that," Damon said.

"You were meant to."

"You know, I get why you don't like me," Jo started. "You and Alaric were bros. A girl comes into the picture, it's awkward."

"It's not awkward, it's annoying," he denied. Skye kept walking to the next set of doors, the bickering pair following.

"Because he's looking out for me?"

"Yes, at the expense of logic and reason," Damon burst out, vexed.

"Excuse me, you suck at logic and reason. At least Alaric cares, " Skye interrupted, turning to face them as she walked.

"Shh," Damon shushed her suddenly, his hand going up.

Skye pivoted back towards the doors and then froze, terrified, because there stood Kai in the doorway in all his glory, wearing a form-fitting gray Timber wolves shirt with a soda can in his grasp, smirking.

"Ah, babe, you made it," he said, sounding pleased, as he came forward. "You must've really missed me, huh? It's only been, like, an hour since we talked. I figured it'd take longer than that to break away from those morons." Finding her brain, she darted forward, meeting him.

She smiled, genuinely, back at him for the first time in probably four years. "Yeah, it was embarrassingly easy. You'd think vampires would be more observant." She pushed at his chest as she spoke, trying to move both of them backward, away from the doorway to make room for her companions.

Hopefully, Jo and Damon were cloaked behind her - she strongly suspected they were, based on Kai's greeting to her, which had been pleasant and relaxed but was now headed quickly towards suspicion, if his next words were any indication: ""Wait, were you just talking to someone?" His face became tight as he reached up with his free hand to grab her wrist, stopping her movements, and planting his feet, halting their progress. "Also, on an unrelated note, why are you pushing me?"

She shook her head. "No, I was talking to myself if you really heard something. A bad habit from the Prison World. I don't realize I'm even doing it anymore." Had she ever tried to lie to Kai before? Undoubtedly. Under duress, especially when it depended on the welfare of others besides herself? Um, as far as she could recall, probably never. Most of the time, she was pretty much a straight-shooter, but now she was rambling, and cringing internally because she understood how risky the moment was. "As for the pushing, I'm just happy to see you - I just couldn't contain myself." She regretted the statement the instant it left her mouth.

Predictably, his eyes narrowed. "See, sadly, the whole talking to yourself thing is not even the strange part. Normally, when you say things like what you just said, I know you think you're being sarcastic because you'd never really admit to me just how happy my mere presence makes you, " he said, his lips curving into a boyish smile. "However, that didn't sound sarcastic and you haven't smiled like this at me in a long time."

She glanced down, to see that one of her hands still rested on his chest, the other still caught in his grip. She had been straining her cheeks, fighting to keep the wide smile on her face. Her face hurt.

"Is it doing funny things to your insides?" Skye asked, caustic, before she switched gears, going for coy and begrudging. "Maybe ... I did miss you after all."

At this, Kai's head tilted, his smile more faint, putting on a calculating expression as he scanned her face. Which translated into Skye's last chance to distract him. So she did the one thing she figured might be fool-proof. She slid her hand up his chest, grabbed the back of his neck, and yanked his face down to hers. The kiss was rough and hard, teeth clashing and lip movements out of sync, more so as one of the participants was beginning to discern that a fast one was being pulled on him and broke away five seconds later with his face contorted into an unreadable mask, his nostrils flared.

"What did you do, Skyler?" he asked, his tone cold.

She floundered. He didn't even wait for an bullshit answer as, with a unintelligible growl, his hold on her wrist turned painful, agitating the healing bruise there, and he started dragging her down the hall, past the double doors she had just pushed him away from. He abandoned the Mountain Dew can along the way, throwing it carelessly to the ground, where it landed with a metallic clang and sprayed its contents on the tile and wall. Balking, Skye barely glimpsed the red liquid, quickly becoming perplexed before she was pulled forward sharply.

"Kai, stop. Just let them save her," she implored, not even bothering to fight against his hold. "We can get back at Damon some other way."

"We? _We_? That's rich, babe," he said, releasing a humorless laugh, bringing her arm up, tugging her closer. "Skye, you can't keep walking this line. You're can't keep rewriting the rules just because you don't like the game. You're either on my side or you're not seeing your family again."

"Fine," she said fiercely. "I'll choose now. I choose you."

"Yeah, now," he scoffed as the pair turned a corner and, up ahead down another hallway lined with lockers and janitorial supplies, caught sight of the other trio attempting to make their escape.

Bringing them to a stop, Kai leaned down to Skye's ear. "Prove it," he whispered. "Don't move or speak, and I'll forgive you." He dropped her wrist and shoved her forward. Skye stood mutely, and they both watched as Damon, Elena, and Jo ceased in their motions for some reason. Jo stumbled, but Damon caught and righted her, keeping his hands on her arms. "Why is your nose bleeding?" he asked, concerned.

"I have a guess," Kai joined in, revealing himself and Skye. "Magic's hard, isn't it, Jo?"

She slumped in Damon's arms. She must've said something because Damon reassured her the next second,"Don't sweat it." His eyes resting solely on Kai, he said, "I want him to see me while I kick his ass. Now get out of here, okay?"

Jo slipped away, unsteady, exiting through a double set of doors on their end of the hall.

Damon squared his shoulders, a smirk taking shape. A smirk that lasted barely a second as Elena, right before Skye's eyes, disappeared like Luke had earlier. Skye's eyes widened, but she didn't turn around. Damon saw her expression and his gaze darted behind him. "Where's Elena?" he demanded, distressed.

"Oh, are we not cloaking people anymore?" Skye heard Kai ask from behind her. "I thought that's what this was." He chuckled mockingly .

Damon vamped forward, but stopped short, with a baffled face.

Behind him, Skye stared as Kai materialized at the other end of the hall. Smiling dementedly at her, he whistled. As Damon turned, he waved, wiggling each individual finger.

Damon vamp-speed to the mop, sitting innocuously by the lockers. Hurriedly, he ripped it in half and launched the jagged end of the handle at Kai like a spear. It impaled his abdomen, and he gasped out, gurgling.

Skye's heart seized in her chest, his name spilling out of her mouth. But she felt no pain, as realized why a moment later when another Kai appeared right next to the first.

"That's gotta hurt," he said, wincing sympathetically at his doppelganger before he addressed Damon, "I am definitely getting the hang of this."

She was right before, the reality of two Kais was really scary.

The second one continued, "Cloaking spells, illusions - you know, it's all the same wheelhouse." Extending a hand, he revealed the true identity of his double - Elena, wheezing, clutching the wooden handle protruding from her chest, sliding down against the lockers, weak.

"No," Damon breathed before he groaned, his hands shooting up to grab his head.

Kai stood with one hand a claw in the air. He brought his hand down, and Damon fell to his knees, then the vampire was on all fours as Kai brought his hand still lower.

"Do it, Skye. _Now_!" Damon forced out, as clutched his head on the floor. Kai's brow quirked as his hand dropped.

As if somebody else was controlling her body, she crossed the distance between her and Kai in quick strides, reaching into her pocket. Kai stayed still, curious, as she stopped in front of him. Then lightning-quick, she rammed him against the wall, restricting him with one arm across his chest. The other pulled the knife from her pocket, and brought the sharp to to his throat. He only blinked.

But Kai's eyes reminded Skye of the first time she had fought him, the first time she trained a gun on him - heated and fond. Just like then, he was perversely enticed by this turn of events. Those same eyes shifted over Skye's shoulder now toward Damon's direction. "I gotta admit, I'm impressed, Damon. I didn't know you could be this cruel," he said, voice too gleeful, not matching his serious words. His adam's apple bobbed against the blade. His eyes, smoldering, met her's again. "Do it," he encouraged. "It's okay."

Gritting her teeth, Skye pressed the knife harder against the delicate skin of his neck, but she still couldn't find the will to drag it across and sever his flesh. She was hesitating, which greatly irritated Damon. "Skye, what are you doing? I said, 'Do it!'"

Skye didn't obey him, and a slow, manic smile formed on Kai's face. Skye's focus drifted to his lips and stayed there so long that in the next second, Kai was able to disarm her. With a grip on the knife, he turned Skye so she faced Damon, and wrenched her tight against his front. He rested the knife on her shoulder, sharp edge away.

Damon looked shocked. "That's impossible," he protested, as he came up on his knees, still weak but growing stronger with each passing second. "Humans can't resist compulsion that easily."

"Hmm, I wonder if there's a force more powerful than vampire compulsion," Kai mused sarcastically, tapping the tip of the knife against his chin. "We're all the other's had for the last twenty years. Surely, even you can connect those dots, Damon. I'm sure the same would have happened to you and Bonnie, you know if you had to spent longer than four months in the prison world. Oh well," he brought the blade to Skye's throat now. But she wasn't afraid - no, she was too distracted by his words about them, examining the myriad complex conclusions to be drawn there.

"You won't kill her, you're still linked," Damon claimed.

"Nope, already unlinked us," Kai denied nonchalantly. Skye was about 95 percent certain he was lying. "You know, my sister would be really mad if Skye were to die, and I just can't wait to tell her how you risked her life to kill me - which is also incidentally something she doesn't want. And if she's mad, her boyfriend will be too. Or is he your boyfriend? I get a little confused about your dynamic…" he trailed off, smirking.

Damon began to stand, his face set in a snarl.

Kai mumbled right against Skye's ear, "_Motus_." The knife flew from his hand at an unnatural speed right into Damon's throat. His carotid spurted blood, the spray warm and far-reaching, landing on Skye's clothes.

Damon's hands immediately went up to his wound, falling to his knees once again.

Kai laughed in triumph and released Skye. Stepping around her, he walked toward Damon as the blood continued to gush out, and Damon made incoherent sounds.

Kai crouched at his side. "Just a little quid pro quo, Damon. You kidnap my girlfriend, I kidnap yours," he drawled, light-heartedly, but then his tone menacing. "But know if you ever take Skye away from me again, I will personally ensure a stake finds its way directly into Elena's heart next time."

Skye noticed as Damon's eyes rolled back. Skye's gaze went to Elena, who still sat against the lockers with the mop handle still firmly in place, her eyes panicked and fixed on Damon's form.

Satisfied with Damon's prone figure on the floor, Kai stood up and stalked towards Skye. This time, he grabbed her hand and towed her to the exit doors Jo had fled through just minutes before.

Skye had made her choice, and the weight of it was washing over her like a tide as Kai led her through a maze of more nondescript corridors.

She felt bad, guilty, leaving Damon and Elena like that though she knew she should've hated Damon. Kai had been right in what he had said earlier to the phone. The vampire certainly had not been her friend, when he tried a vampire trick on her, and put her life in jeopardy by ordering her to slash Kai's throat. However, then again, she was beginning to not much care for her life anymore. But apparently, and she was loathed to admit it, she did Kai's. How sick was that? It seemed like everybody in this damn town, including herself, sucked at logic and reason. Why did emotions have to compete with logic? Not even compete, directly defy.

"So," Kai finally spoke up as he veered, selecting a short hallway, glancing down a longer hallway off to their side. "I'm suddenly really happy I slipped you some vervain."

"What's vervain?" she questioned.

"Mystical herb that protects against vampires."

"When did this happen?"

"Wouldn't you like to know," he replied curtly.

"Yes, I would, actually - that's why I fucking asked, Mal."

He stopped his stride, so abruptly she bumped into him. She bounded back, but the separation was bridged again as Kai stepped close, angling his face down, regarding her harshly, jaw clenched. "You know, you're not allowed get testy. _I _should be the only one mad here, Skyler." But then some of the harshness faded and his free hand came up, fingertips touching her jaw. "But honestly, I'm just grateful I didn't have to storm Casa de Salvatore and come after you myself. A lot less messy this way."

"_Less_ messy this way?" she blurted, with a pointed glance down at her recently acquired bloodstain. But Kai's attention had been drawn to something over her shoulder. She turned to see Jo crawling as fast as her body would allow, away from them. "Kai," she said, warningly.

And Skye was being lugged again at a fast pace she struggled to keep up with him as he pursued his twin.

"Kai, wait," Skye pleaded, desperate. "Let her get away. Let her practice again."

He wasn't listening. She tried to rip her hand away, but couldn't, thanks to his death grip. She was pretty sure she was hearing her bones crack, as her eyes started to water. Finally, she stomped down blindly, aiming for his foot. She must've hit her mark because he jumped and his grip eased a small bit. Her hands instantly went up in defense, and he gave her a black look, snarling, "_What_?"

"Listen to me, Kai. Let her build up her strength." He seemed skeptical, but she persisted. "Wouldn't you rather beat her when she was at full capacity? Wouldn't your victory be that much sweeter?"

He stared at her, considering, for a long moment. And, out of the corner of her eye, Skye saw Jo edging closer to a door, with a large red "Exit" sign above it.

But then, with curled lip, his eyes displaying a patent shrewdness, her arm was seized again. "Oh, you're good, babe," he told her. "You really had me going there. You have to stop, though, if you wanna make it to tomorrow. " Skye felt completely hopeless now, her last ditch effort failing.

They came up on Jo's other side, and he grabbed her arm too, hauling her up to her feet. She groaned. "Now that I've got the kinks worked out, we can actually do this," Kai said. "Is there an upcoming celestial event that interests you? I'm partial -" Suddenly, he was interrupted as an arrow pierced his left shoulder swiftly, and he jerked back and grunted.

Skye cried out, in shock, and in pain as its sensation blasted through her shoulder. She looked down, saw the hole in her shirt, and the thin stream of blood starting.

Kai's hand had loosened from around her arm, but she turned towards him, the same arm outstretched, trying to tend to the arrow, and she fell to her knees in front of him after he and Jo went down.

She didn't see Alaric come up behind him until it was too late. Only to able to make a single noise of protest before he stuck a needle in Kai's neck, jamming down the plunger fast, and Skye felt the prick of the needle in her own. The injection - whatever it was - was fast-acting, because her limbs grew heavy and her eyelids drooped as Kai collapsed into her, knocking her down to the tile floor and landing half on top of her. But, by then, she was already out.

* * *

_A/N: Here's another! Whoa, this took a lot outta of me, and I feel like I got totally carried away. Hopefully, it's not too heavy or weird or long. I even considered splitting it at one point, but I didn't want to put off the Merge anymore because I know how excited you guys are for it. Anyway, hope you enjoyed! I'm sorry if you didn't - tell me about it either way, please. : ) _

_RHatch89: Thank you!_

_Britt: Next chapter now! _

_xCutePoison: Thank you! Hope this flashback's not too much for you - it's pretty heavy. Hope you liked the chapter._

_Guest123: Thank you, the Merge is next chapter now! I don't know about the jealousy scenes though, maybe more opportunities will open up for them. : ) _

_Pluv143000 : Thank you so much! Also, thanks for clearing that whole heart / 3 issues up. I had wondered if that's what it's supposed to be, and I see now it probably was since more people wrote the same for the last chapter, and the site ate the less-than sign too. I hope this chapter was crazy enough for ya, lol (I suspect it was because this whole chapter is pretty crazy). P.G. means "Psycho's Girlfriend," he first calls her it in the third or chapter, I believe. Lol, I'm sorry about TWD, hope you recovered._

_BehindGrayEyes: Great to see you again! Thank you! Hope you enjoyed._

_ssweerdisposition: Thanks! I hope you liked this flashback too - kinda crazy. And, yay, the Merge is now next chapter!_

_NiNa5: Lol, you're welcome and thanks for the review! I hope you l like this chapter!_

_Livhardy: Thank you! Sorry it wasn't soon, but I hope you think this chapter is great too, both the flashback and the present._

_sarahmichellegellarfan1: Thanks!_

_LovelyFandomLover: Thank you! Hope you like this flashback too! Yeah, I think it's safe enough to tease that the idea of Skye being pregnant will pop up again soon in a series of flashbacks - hope that's not too much of a spoiler. _

_julieakaweirdo: Thank so much! I think we see a little bit of that this chapter, but I also think that's Kai pretty secure in himself right now and is not that worried about them romantically (because that will never happen, lol). He just doesn't like Damon and doesn't want him being familiar with who he's close to, i.e. Skye. _

_Nirvana14: Thanks so much! I hope this one lives up too._

_mel: Lol, thank you so much! It's always awesome to hear that people reread it, because that's like the highest honor. I hope you like this chapter just a much as the rest of the story!_

_FizzWizz2011: Here it is!_

_Panda: Thanks so much! He definitely did link them for mostly selfish reasons - ultimately, he just wanted some leverage. Even if she was hurt, he would also be hurt the same way so I don't know how much help he would be._

_YoCupcake: Thanks so much! I don't watch the show either, didn't even try to tune in to the premiere, but I'm so glad because it seems like it's gonna go up in flames. The whole pregnancy thing will pop up again because I'm interested in exploring it. If she did get pregnant while they were in the real world, I think she would've agreed with Kai in pursuing an abortion - she was pretty ambitious and probably wouldn't have wanted to be tied down like that. But it will be a different story in the Prison World ; ) _

_Thanks for the compliment about me writing Kai! It's something I worry about every single chapter (even this one). As for the Merge, the biggest change we'll see in Kai in the story that he'll start caring about Skye's feelings more. But he's still gonna struggle with his new emotional state vs. his baser instincts and murderous tendencies. I still have to figure out all the details, but I'm hoping to do it a little more justice than the show did. _

_Anyway, I hope you liked this update! It got a little crazy, especially the flashback. _

_PrincessMagic: Thanks! _

_Guess (1): Thank you!_

_Khari: Thank you so much! Truly, you always make me speechless with your reviews. Yeah, I figured Skye would be more affected by him brutalizing his siblings again. The other people she don't really know or have a connection to. I really hope you like this chapter, too, and leave me another review that makes me super emotional. _

_Kelly: Thanks! The flashback after next chapter will feature the beginning of their trip to Europe!_

_Sweet Summer Sunset: Thank you! The flashback after next will show the beginning of their trip to Europe - there's a surprising factor to it that I'm really excited for you guys to see. I hope you enjoyed the Jo/Skye scenes this chapter, even though they were few. Might be even fewer soon since it seems like Skye's finally chosen Kai's side, sorry! : / Some more opportunities will pop up in the future, however. _

_GoingClassic: Not weird. Stay tuned, if you will._

_Dunder Mifflin: Thanks for explaining! Also, thanks so much for the review (I'm really obsessed with this season of AHS too! Always for a sucker for Evan Peters playing psychotic characters, also Chris Wood, lol). I feel really bad that I couldn't get the update up before Thanksgiving, but does a few hours after it count? Also, it's super long..._

_: )_

_Guest (2): I hope you liked her meeting with Stefan, it wasn't much, sorry, but I tried._

_IAintPunkRock: Thanks so much! Hope you like this chapter._

_Roya: We will! Kai even figures it out on his own, but not for awhile. Sorry : (_

_XxMikealsonForeverxX: Thanks!_

_Jess: Thank you! Yes, she will reunite with her family, but not till later on. Sorry : ( I feel like I'm disappointing everyone with all the "sorrys" and frowny faces, but I have the moments planned ahead and they will happen eventually, I promise. _

_Your suggestion for a flashback is intriguing - I can say that is one coming up, in probably like 5 chapters, where she does indeed get really mad and puts her foot down over a certain issue. Hope you liked this chapter._

_Guest (3): Lol, thanks! Here it is! I hope you like the little bit of Skye/Stefan interaction. Also, pregnancy will pop up again. _

_bbymojo: Thanks! Hope you enjoyed!_

_sbritt264: Thanks! Here it is! _

_annabethchase1500: Thank you! Sorry Skye and Elena didn't have an extensive interaction, but they will during 6x13. Hope you like this chapter!_

_GITANJALEE123: Thanks, and here it is! _

_P.S. Also, I wanted to apologize to the guest who did leave the heart last chapter, I thank you heartily and heart you back, sorry if my message to you last time seemed rude. I was just confused. _

_Beautifulwhisper__: I'm hoping to reply back to your message soon! I was able to use the internet for a short period of time this week, and I used it to update. If you see this and read it, I hope you enjoyed. _


	15. Chapter 15

Set during and after 6x12, "Prayer for the Dying"

_You're pushing down on my shoulders _

_And emptying my lungs_

_And in a moment, I'm older_

_In a moment, you've won_

_And you escape me_

_Like it's nothing_

_Like words I never should have said_

_And the stress comes to the surface_

_But all of the heroes are dead_

_While I dance here softly_

_You're next to me again_

_But we're still tugging on each other_

_And tearing up the fraying loose ends_

_And I hate that I can't say your name_

_Without feeling like I'm part of the blame_

_And it's never gonna feel quite the same_

_But it's never gonna change_

_And I hate that I'm always so young_

_Had me feeling like you were the one_

_And it's never gonna feel like it's done_

_'Cause it's never gonna change_

_"Never Gonna Change" - Broods _

**So two warnings: the writing in italics is not a flashback! And you will encounter an extremely OOC Kai. Just roll with it - it's mostly just for fun, but it also serves a purpose. **

**Also - second warning - this chapter (or certain portions, closer to the end) is rated M for explicit sexual content. Read at your own risk. **

Chapter 15 - It's Never Gonna Change

_"Babe..." _

_The voice was soft, barely above a whisper. Skye felt a warm presence against her side, a gentle pressure on her arm, but all she saw was black; her eyes were too heavy to open. _

_"Babe, I'm gonna turn the lamp on. Is that okay?" The voice was louder then._

_She tried to speak, opening her mouth, but no words came out. Just indiscernible grunts._

_"I'm gonna take the incoherent mumbling as a 'yes.'"_

_Light erupted across her eyelids and her eyes popped open finally. She blinked furiously, struggling to keep her eyes open. Suddenly, a face loomed overs hers, and she froze as she recognized who it belonged to. _

_It was Kai... but not Kai. The man certainly looked like Kai, a Kai that was older with small lines around his eyes and pronounced, purple bags under them. His face looked a little wider, a little softer around the edges, covered by several days worth of dark, scruffy growth lining his jaw and mouth. His dark hair cropped short, he wore navy blue scrubs and square, black-framed glasses. His eyes, however, held the starkest difference - they weren't coldly mocking like she had expected but, instead, filled with a strange light that was very unfamiliar to her. A light that was ardent ... tender as he gazed down at her, smiling tiredly, but also contentedly._

_She blinked again owlishly, feeling extremely disoriented. Her action earned her a low chuckle._

_She blurted out her first coherent thought . "Why are you wearing glasses?"_

_His brow quirked, his smile becoming unsure. "Uh, to see."_

_"Since when?"_

_"Since a long time ago."_

_Skye stared at him a moment longer then shot up. He reached out reflexively, hands grasping her shoulders. _

_"Whoa, steady," he told her, with a small laugh. _

_Glancing around at the interior of the room, she felt lost. Tangled up in the plain black sheets of a King-sized bed as she was, in a room large enough to comfortably accommodate it. Stylishly decorated in shades of black, white, and red, the room featured a large window adjacent to the bed, showcasing a darkness that looked like early morning. Dots of lights - red, white, and yellow - were scattered across the windowscape as well as dark silhouettes of short and tall buildings. Long, dark curtains framed the window. On the other side of the room were two wooden doors. On the wall between them, framed photographs and artwork. An dresser was below that with an alarm clock that read, "5:45 A.M." _

_"Kai?" she asked as she faced him, other questions ready on the tip of her tongue, like _where are we? What's going on? _But most pressingly_: Who are you? _Because this man could not be Kai. Who watched her so intently now, stroking her collar bones with his thumbs._

_He whispered, "Yeah?" He grinned softly then brought one hand up. He brushed aside some locks of rogue hair that had fallen in her eyes, tucking them behind her ears. _

_It was something the real Kai would've done - but there was something different about the gesture now - less about cool intimidation or seductive manipulation. It was slower, more reassuring than anything. That, coupled with the dulcet tone and grin, had her swallowing the questions, past the lump in her throat. _

_Instead, she chose to stare at him some more, growing slack-jawed. _

_Kai's intent expression turned, shifting into concern. "Are you okay?"_

_"I don't know..." she trailed off, sounding every bit as lost as she felt. _

_He scooted even closer, his hands going to her cheeks now. "Are you feeling dazed? Confused? No - wait. Recite the plot of _Dazed and Confused _for me."_

_She shook her head. "I probably haven't seen that movie in twenty years, Mal." _

_Here, his eyes narrowed and his head tilted as he regarded her critically. "Did you drink a whole bottle of wine again before you went to bed last night?"_

_"Um...do I do that often?"_

_"Not often enough to be alarming," he told her, swiping a hand across her forehead gingerly."Just often enough to make me wonder if you're gonna hurt yourself at some point when I'm not here."Moving his hands up, his fingers pushed into her hair, and probed her skull. "Like now, I think you've hit your head on a table or something, and are suffering from retrograde amnesia." _

_Frowning, he reached in his scrub pocket and pulled out a pen flashlight. One hand returned to her cheek, as he shined it obnoxiously in her one of her eyes. She flinched away from it. But he readjusted his hand, tightening his grasp, pulling her head back to him. He examined her other eye. _

_"Well, your pupils are dilating normally. That's good," he pronounced, sliding away. "However, I'm still confused as to why you think 20 years have passed since you've seen _Dazed and Confused_." Then he shrugged. "Unless it was an over exaggeration thing, which you are prone to sometimes." His face clouded over again. "Still doesn't explain why you called me 'Mal.'"_

_Now, it was Skye's turn to frown. "I've always called you 'Mal.'"_

_"No, you haven't," he said incredulously. "Not once, actually, in the six years we've been a blissfully boring, disgustingly domestic couple." _

_"Just six years?" she asked, dubious. _

_Alarmed, he stood up. "Okay, I really think maybe you should go to the hospital. You're acting really weird." He bent down, hands at the ready to haul her off the bed into his arms. _

_"No, no, no," she protested, thinking fast, coming up on her knees. She resisted his hold. "Sorry - I'm just - I just feel sick." She wasn't about to ruin this moment - however unreal it undoubtedly was - with a trip to the hospital. _

_Naturally, his fingers then went under her jaw, gently prodding,checking her lymph nodes. _

_"Not that kind of sick," she said quickly. "Cramps." _

_His fingers fell away, and she could've sworn she saw disappointment flash in his eyes. "Oh," was all he said however. But he grabbed her hand, interlaced it with his own, and brought it against his chest. She shuffled closer, until her knees were on the edge of the bed. _

_He stared down at their joined hands, a faraway look on his face, his jaw clenching and unclenching. He repeated the process while she watched, intrigued, pondering what was bothering him and about to ask, until he spoke again, meeting her eyes. "Aren't you gonna have to get ready for work soon?"_

_She tramped down her first instinct, which was to say, "I guess?"_

_No, she was more smooth as she decided on, "Maybe I'll call in, take a sick day."_

_"Really? You're gonna play hooky?" Kai asked, sounding doubtful but looking amused. Easy to play hooky when she didn't even know what her responsibilities were in this strange new world. "But, _oh _\- I could make you breakfast," he continued, his tone now holding an undercurrent of excitement, his eyes lighting up. "We haven't got to do that in awhile - probably since I started my residency actually."_

Residency?_ That explained why he had woken her up at such an hour, looking like he had just rolled in and more exhausted than she had ever seen him. _

_Skye smiled up at him. "That sounds good." _

_All she knew, at that moment with him, was she didn't want _this, _whatever the hell _this _was - a delusion perhaps -_ _to end or fade. _

_Kai beamed at her, then brushed a kiss on her knuckles before he dropped her hand. "Okay, I'll go take a shower, and you'll call work? Meet in the kitchen?"_

_She nodded, and he turned to the dresser behind him. He grabbed several articles of clothing from different drawers, and went for the door on the left. She glimpsed the inside before he closed the door - a bathroom. _

_So she went for the door on the right, and stepped out into a long hallway, wondering if she had stepped into an episode of _The Twilight Zone.

_She strained her mind, trying to remember what had occurred the day before - hadn't he been dragging her around the halls of a high school?_

_She shook her head, trying to clear it. Everything was hazy - facts and images flying through her head but none staying long enough for her to make sense of. Only feelings lingered - dread, apprehension, and uncertainty. Which should've been enough cause for alarm, but it was difficult to figure out what it all meant, why they were there, when nothing else made sense. _

_She had reached the end of the hall, bypassing the archway of the kitchen, and she was met with a living room - it looked homey, lived-in. Warm and inviting, decorated with tasteful furniture and neutral, muted colors. _

_She surveyed the furniture, paced around, and looked at the walls, where more framed photographs hung - she studied those more closely. One of them was a picture she recognized, one her mother had taken of them together at their college graduation, their arms around each other. Right next to it, another one of them together, this time however only Kai was in a different graduation gown, facing the camera and smiling, more closely resembling to the man who had woken her up than the boy in the picture next to him. And she...well she gazed up at him in the picture, not quite smiling but her eyes - they gleamed proudly, happily. _

_There were two other pictures in the collection, but they were brown on the edges, a bright yellow splotch in their middles. Why would they frame and hang over-exposed photos? _

_She looked back to the hallway, deep in thought, trying to make sense of her surroundings. Then crossed to the other side of the room - a calendar was also tacked to the wall, telling her the year was 1999 and the month was March. _

_Well...that explained the whole six year thing. _

_She must've taken longer than she realized, examining the photos and the calendar, because she heard noises from the direction of the kitchen, followed by a sizzling sound, then the smell of frying bacon. _

_She walked back to the archway, stopping briefly to take the room in. The room was smaller than the others, cramped but cozy, the appliances the most modern-looking she had ever owned. _

_Kai stood at the stove, his back to her. Now dressed in a plain gray shirt and black sweatpants, he moved to the counter on the other side of the room, where a sink and coffee pot resided. He took a sip from a black mug set there before he went back to the stove._

_Another mug, this one red, also set there, beckoning her and she crossed the room to grab it, casting a wary glance at Kai, who hadn't yet reacted to her presence. The mug was full and already fix the way she liked it - she could tell from the creamy brown color of it, especially when she compared it to the stark black liquid in the cup next to it. "Thanks for making me a cup," she said. _

_He looked back at her for a second and smiled, giving a quick nod. "Of course."_

_A small table was tucked in the corner nearest the door, with only two chairs. She finally decided to sit down in one, uncertain of her role in this morning routine, coffee in hand. _

_Besides, Kai seemed on top of it, she concluded, as she turned to sit sideways, to have a view of Kai while he cooked, cracking several eggs in a bowl and whisking the contents, adding a little milk from a jug on the counter next to him, then dumping the mixture into another pan. _

_"So how was work?" she ventured, feeling awkward. Which contrasted greatly to Kai, who seemed so at home, performing every action expertly, obviously well-acquainted with his utensils and cookware, using tongs to turn over a strip of bacon in a cast-iron skillet. _

_"I got to see my first compound fracture," he answered, sounding entirely too jazzed about witnessing a bone sticking out of skin. "Skateboarding accident. It was gross, but also a little awesome."_

_She shook her head. "Yuck."_

_He laughed. "How did the call go? I assume well since you're still sitting here, still wearing my most favorite pair of pajamas on you." _

_"What call?" she asked, unthinking, as she glanced down at herself. To find she was not wearing pants - how had she not noticed that before? _Well, you had been a little distracted_, her brain snarked back. But she was wearing underwear, she could feel, and an over-sized T-shirt with a Smashing Pumpkins logo - probably one of Kai's, if she had to guess. _

_"To work," Kai clarified. Reaching up towards one of the cabinets, he pulled two plates down. _

_"Oh, they said it was fine," she said dismissively, taking a drag of her coffee, hoping he'd drop it. _

_"Really?" he questioned, his tone skeptical. "Because I remember you telling me not long ago, when I begged to stay home for just one day, that your boss would fire you right there on the spot."_

_"Well, he had called in too," she lied, then cringed. _Why? _Why couldn't she lie convincingly to him when it counted? _

_He hmmed, dishing out the now finished eggs on one plate, topping it with shredded cheese he pulled from the refrigerator and salt and pepper from the spice rack on the counter, before adding a few strips of bacon. "That's a weird coincidence," he remarked as he walked over and set the plate and a fork down on the table in front of her. _

_Steam and delicious scents wafted up from the scrambled eggs and bacon and hit her nose enticingly, but she ignored it, choosing to watch Kai as he retreated back to the stove and cracked two more eggs directly into the pan this time. _

_"So Jo called," he said casually. "Yesterday before I left." _

_Shock washed over Skye. _Jo_. There was a thought to be had there about Jo, but she couldn't access it. The phrase, _high school hallway_, ran through her mind again, but that's all it was - a phrase. One that didn't make sense to her, bringing forth no relevant associations or images to connect to Jo. "Really?" she said, striving for unaffected, but ending up sounding unnaturally high-pitched. _

_He continued, oblivious. "She wants us to come down for the weekend. Nic's driving the boys and Olivia to her house, and Eva will be there too. " He flipped the eggs over delicately as Skye frantically worked to suck air back into her lungs, because she had unexpectedly stopped breathing. "She said Eva had some questions she wants to ask you about your job for one of her classes. " Then he snorted. "Honestly, she has two siblings who are doctors yet she worships the ground you walk on." _

_Skye frowned, finally starting in on her plate, to give her something to do other than wallow in profound bemusement and remedy lack of oxygen. "I feel like I should take offense to that," she said finally._

_"Babe, I didn't mean it like that." Now, he was making his plate and then walking to grab his mug from the other counter. He sat in the chair across from her and she faced him properly now, eyeing his plate, which contained eggs, prepared over easy - just like he always ate them. "It's just funny to me. How much more interesting she finds you. But I don't blame her - I can't as a fellow worshiper." _

_He grinned beatifically at her at the end of this statement, and she gaped back, a piece of bacon falling out of her mouth. He observed her, amused. "You okay?"_

_She shook herself, nodding, and averted her gaze back to her plate. _

_"Anyway, I figured we could also stop and see your sister and the kids." Kids as in plural? _Oh god. _Just another crazy component to add the trippy delusion she was suffering. _

_"What about my mom?" she asked as she looked back up, stabbing blinding with her fork and bringing it up to her mouth._

_He was concentrated on his plate as he responded, "Yeah, we'll probably have time to stop by the cemetery."_

_Skye choked on her eggs, then started coughing, and reached for her mug instinctually. Finally, she got the eggs washed down with her coffee, grateful she hadn't also burned herself in the process._

_Kai had just watched the whole episode, tensed up like any moment he would bound up and flee or perhaps pound her on the back. He did neither, as a pained, apologetic expression became present on his face. "I'm sorry - I shouldn't have said it lik-"_

_"No, it's fine," she said, only mildly swayed by the sincere apology. No, she couldn't get past the information. She set down her fork, having lost her appetite._

_Her mom was dead? Okay, this delusion wasn't as fun anymore. _

_He reached out his left hand, covering her right on the table. It was then she noticed _it _\- the ring. On his ring finger, a silver band. But thick, with an engraved design she couldn't make out. _

_Automatically, her eyes went to her left hand. And, sure enough, there, on her ring finger, was an thin silver band, inlaid with small diamonds, and a ruby gemstone as the centerpiece. Distantly, she remembered a moment in 1993 when she'd described this exact setting for the only piece of jewelry she'd ever wear long-term - an engagement ring. Did this mean they were married? _

_But there was no extra band on her finger. Just engaged? Had she made him procure an engagement ring also? That did sound like something she'd do._

_His thumb brushed her across her knuckles one last time, before he pulled his hand away, back to his side, and resumed eating._

_They sat in silence for the remainder of the meal, Skye leaving the rest of her food untouched. She didn't want to speak, for fear of revealing her ignorance. _Why don't I remember anything? _ was the question that kept popping up and causing her frustration to mount. _

_When Kai stood to clear the table, and though she had stood to help him, he grabbed her plate from her grasp instead and took both of their plates to the sink. Then he sighed, bracing his hands against the edge of the counter, and bowed his head, his exhaustion showing itself again. _

_Without a thought, she darted forward, reaching him, her hand going for his back, just as he turned around. Her hand dropped, but he was leaning down, his arms were wrapping around her, enveloping her in a tight hug, almost sweeping her off her feet. He squeezed even tighter, and she lost her breath as her bones cracked. But it didn't hurt in a bad way, an innocent warmth suffusing her - just simple affection - as she was held in his embrace for possibly the first time. _

_"Can't breathe, Kai," she choked out. _

_He chuckled, muttering, "Sorry."_

_He loosened his hold, lowered her until her feet were firmly back on the ground. She was able to lift her arms, and return the hug then, wrapping her own arms around him, and rest her head on his shoulder. She felt him press his lips against her forehead, leaving a kiss that lingered. "God, I missed you, Skye," he whispered against her skin. Making her wonder how long it had been since they had a moment like this with each other - well her and Fake Kai, this impostor who she was starting to prefer. She had never had a moment like this with the real version._

_A moment that ended too soon when he drew back slightly, prompting her to face him head on. "As much as I'd like to keep this going, I'm about to fall over," he told her, in a regretful tone. "Let me get a few hours of sleep, okay? Then we can discuss what to do the rest of the day. Maybe go to the Market and get dinner, shop?"_

_She nodded and he let go of her, stepping around her to walk out of the kitchen. _

_At a lost once again, she began exploring their new apartment. There were two more doors in the hallway. One that led to another bathroom, which was plain, and she scanned it with disinterest until her gaze fell on the mirror and she stopped short. _

_She looked different, older too. Her hair was also shorter - shoulder-length and choppier. With no discernible style, as bedraggled as she still was. Color peaked out the collar of the shirt, and she pulled it down to reveal a new tattoo snaking along her left collar bone - not script this time but a image. Three images, actually. Three little gray elephants, situated in a near cartoon heart-shape - two right above her collarbone, following the curve of it, and one right below, on her chest. All had little tufts of green grass at their feet, like they were clomping on the African savanna. She stroked it lightly, and fell in love with it the more she studied it. _

_Behind the other door was what she assumed had just simply been a second bedroom but they had transformed it into a makeshift office. Two desks pushed against two separate walls, but their surfaces and the room was cluttered to the max with extraneous stuff, it seemed, that had no place in rest of the apartment. She snooped through all of it anyway, finding nothing of intrigue so she went back to the kitchen._

_She perused the cabinets and refrigerator, happy to see that they could afford a variety of real food now, and not just four different flavors of Ramen and two brands of macaroni and cheese._

_All in all, this apartment was a definite improvement over their last - no mysterious stains in the carpet, no holes in the drywall to creatively cover with posters, or cracked tiles. No couches or chairs with dips or rips, or tables with peeling veneer. _

_But her exploration had only lasted a hour and a half, and she yearned to wake Kai up. Because was the most interesting thing about this whole delusion._

_She waited four more hours, wasting her time with television, watching shows she didn't recognize and forgetting them instantly as she shut the TV off with the remote. _

_Skye padded to the bedroom, quietly slipping in. The black curtains were pulled over the huge window, obscuring the most of the light. But she could still see him in the bed, laying on his stomach, his arms folded under the pillow. The sheets and blankets only covered half his body, his bare back on display._

_Skye climbed up on the bed, carefully, keeping an ear out and an eye on him. She didn't want to disturb his sleep, but she couldn't wait any longer. She feared this little delusion would end soon. _

_She sat on her heels, and studied him. His shoulders looked broader, his arms stronger, his back corded with muscles... yet this Kai certainly seemed like he would be incapable of harming anyone. Though, he was more equipped for it. _

_"Babe, you're really creeping me out right now." His voice was thick with sleep, gruff and low. _

_Apparently, he still shared at least one more trait with the real Kai, besides just taking their eggs the same - being a light sleeper._

_Now armed with the knowledge that he was awake, she acted on her impulse - one she'd harbored since she climbed up in the bed and admired his new physique. Leaning forward, over him, she began pressing kisses down his back slowly, starting in between his shoulder blades and ending just above the dip of his hips, at the sheet's edge, one of her hands tracing the trail her mouth left sensuously. All the while, his muscles had worked, tensing and contracting at her touches. She grinned against his skin, when a moan escaped him. _

_When she felt him moving, she pulled away nervously, sitting back on her heels. He only flipped around, leaning up on one elbow with a sleepy smile, dragging a hand tiredly over his face. He looked more like himself then, with the glasses off, on the nightstand next to them. "What are you doing?" he asked. _

_"I just missed you," she said simply, echoing his words from earlier. Meaning it. "But go back to sleep - you seem like you need it. I'll leave ya alone." And that statement had taken everything out of her to even say, because it was the last thing she wanted then. She wanted him awake and talking to her - this Kai who smiled a lot and smirked a lot less. Whose eyes were alive._

_"No," he protested, sitting up. The sheet pooled at his waist, revealing his buffer chest and a small smattering of dark hair growing there. "You can't wake me up like that and expect me to go back to bed. It's not right."_

_She raised up on her knees, and moved closer until she towered over him. His arms automatically went around her, and he smiled brightly up at her. Her hands cupped his jaw, his beard rough prickly against her palms. _

_Her mouth descended onto his, and she kissed him slowly, unhurried. Before longing overwhelmed her and she grew more urgent, her tongue grazing his. He matched her fervor, as his hands drifted down._

_His fingers trailed along the inside her thigh, traveling upward. And she could only think, with relief, _Yes, please_... _

It _\- _he _\- hadn't felt this pure in a long time. _

* * *

Kai was dreaming too, but in flashes. Of blonde hair swinging, of sharp, elongated canines dripping blood, of Skye's skin glowing orange under his touch. Then a long stretch of darkness. In that moment, he was able to remember his reality.

When he woke up, after he Merged - because that always took top priority - he was still definitely pursuing his plan of turning Skye.

It sucked, though, that he had to discard Elena's blood. But he imagined he could find another source easily enough. There were probably many more vampire roaming around the area, ready to be drained of their blood and then staked for fun.

Then all of those flashes could become his new reality. It was one he already knew he would like very much - Skye unbound by human limitations. Which perhaps could go a long way to loosening her morals and giving her dark side the push it needed to be fully unleashed.

While it had been mostly rare before the prison world, he had glimpsed it so many more times after, in the moments they were most intimate, him pressed to her, a weapon between them or maybe nothing. But she reigned it in, unfailingly, each time. Even as she was on her way to killing him, her eyes shining, wild and malevolent, he would always see, right as she made the killing stroke, the shutter of doubt and panic, the dismay at her own actions. Though, it was always interesting when he woke up and she felt compelled to make up for it.

Bonus, he could siphon the mystical energy out of her, the magic that made her vampirism possible. At least, he was pretty sure - having never been exposed to a vampire long enough to test the theory. Well except Damon and Elena. And he had never really wanted to get close enough to Damon to find out, his aversion to the aggravating vampire greater than his desire to test his ability. And he had already had magic when he was in proximity with Elena. But with Skye, he could test it all he wanted for as long as he-

Abruptly, Kai felt the heavy darkness lifting.

Opening his eyes, he fought to overcome the grogginess.

"Rise and shine, you little weasel." _Damon_.

Kai's hand instantly went up, poised for attack. But before the magic flowed out of his fingertips, all too eager to target Damon with an aneurysm, he could feel it was near depletion.

He lowered his hand; he certainly didn't want to waste the rest of the Traveler's magic on him. No, there were more mundane and fun ways of dealing with the vampire. All exceedingly violent and more preferable to him at the moment.

Damon misconstrued his actions. "Ooh, looks like all that magic you sucked up, drained away while you were asleep. Which is good for me."

Kai sat up, and glanced around, getting his bearings. Some place he didn't recognize, but he was surrounded by medical machines, on a hospital bed.

They had been keeping him sedated, was his best guess. It would've been amusing if it wasn't so infuriating.

Damon was still yapping, exacerbating an incessant ache in Kai's head. "Don't worry, I know where you can get more."

Kai scoffed, facing him. "You really think I'm gonna trust you?"

"No, and I'm not gonna trust you," the vampire said, as Kai tossed his blankets and sheets aside, pushing his body to the side of the bed, to dangle his legs over the edge. "I just happen to need a magic siphon, and you're the only game in town."

Tyler laid under Kai's feet, knocked out cold, a tube jutting crudely from his neck. "Hi," Kai greeted him.

Then he jumped over the prone werewolf smoothly, coming to a graceful stop right in front of Damon, who glared at him. Straightening, Kai smirked. "Let's discuss my fee." Then his hand flew up, halting Damon's reply. "But first, where's Skye?"

However, his question proved to be cursory as he passed by Damon, walking through a double doorway, and instantly spotted her still form stretched out on the couch of what appeared to be a living room.

He started towards her, sensing Damon was following him. "We figured she'd benefit from a time out, too," Damon drawled, as Kai came to a crouch on the floor by her head. She was on her side, her hands clasped and hanging off the side of the couch, in a classic Skye position, her hair hiding half of her face. She was not wearing the same clothes she had had on the last day he had seen her - whenever that was, he truly didn't care - while he was. Kai suspected, and hoped, Jo was responsible for that.

He swept her hair back, until her face was on full display, pinched with anxiety, even in her sleep.

If Damon wasn't tricking him, then that meant there was a great possibility he was receiving what he ultimately wanted tonight. Which meant Skye needed to be unlinked from him, unsure as he was of how the ceremony would affect her.

He patted his pockets, happy to feel the butterfly knife hadn't been confiscated from him. He removed it, unsheathed it, and cut into the fleshy part of his right hand.

"Whoa, what are you doing?" Damon inquired worriedly.

Kai ignored him. Grabbing Skye's hand, he dragged a slash across the center of her palm. He laced their bleedings hands together, calling to mind the reversal incantation he memorized from the Grimoire. "_Phasmatos __conteram vinculum sanguinis ulla noxa est separatum. _"_Phasmatos __conteram vinculum sanguinis ulla noxa est separatum..."_

Distantly, he heard Damon's cursing, "I thought your witchy woo drained away."

Kai smirked again.

* * *

_Skye gasped against Kai's mouth as a sharp, stinging pain erupted across her palm. She pulled back slightly, her right palm lifting from his jaw so she could inspect it. Her palm was unblemished. And she instantly forgot about it as Kai bit her shoulder._

* * *

After he finished chanting, Kai let go of her hand, choosing instead to examine the incision. Still smirking and unable to help himself, he added two more quick cuts, foregoing the knife, tapping out the last of the Traveller's magic. They ran diagonally and invertedly to the first, forming a clear "K."

* * *

_She had resumed kissing him heatedly, her lips nibbling his jaw, but the pain flared up again._

_"What's wrong?" Kai asked hoarsely when he felt her pull back completely and registered her distressed distraction. "Babe?"_

_Her eyes locked with his, and she saw the frantic concern strong in his gaze. _

* * *

Kai admired his handiwork, tipping her hand towards the lamp on the table. He wondered briefly if there was a spelling he could find or create to make the mark permanent - it would be a shame for such an artful etching to be left out of his collection.

He was completely oblivious to Damon in the background, who sported a half-disgust, half-fascinated look, observing the witch's actions.

Kai's musings were cut short as Skye jerked awake, undoubtedly revived by the pain.

* * *

Skye's eyes snapped open and she bolted up on the couch. Almost coming off the piece of furniture with the force of her shock and disorientation.

"Chill, babe," a voice chuckled.

Her hurting hand seized in a grip she recognized, pulling her back down on the cushion, restricting her movement. She raised her head towards the source of his voice.

Kai kneeled in front of her, still dressed in the gray Timberwolves T-shirt, but now with a patch of blood on his right shoulder. His grin was sharp, shark-like, his eyes far from caring, more filled with a demented glee presently. And she became overwhelmed by a hollow, dejected feeling, infinitely worse than the stinging of her palm.

"Guess what?" Kai prompted excitedly, leaning up towards her, his arms draping themselves across her lap. Blood seeped from his hand unto her jeans, causing a wet stain.

Skye peered behind him, to take in Damon, who watched them warily, and something inside her cracked, burning hot and ravishing her insides. Hatred, unfettered and extensive.

And there were a lot of things to hate in that moment - the two men in front of her, the reality she kept finding herself in, the fact that she had to wake up at all.

But, above all, the way she wanted to guess exactly what had Kai so enlivened.

Her eyes found their way back to Kai's face. "What?" she asked quietly, absently, instead.

Kai grinned, manically. "We're unlinked now, and I'm gonna Merge tonight."

"Yeah, after you do what I ask,"Damon interrupted snidely.

She looked down at her lap, and flexed her hands, catching sight what had invaded her unconscious mind, the reason for her earlier pain, why she had been so cruelly ripped from her dream. A crooked "K" now rested in her right palm, and she stared down at it, bringing it up closer to her face. Shortly, Kai's hands came up from her lap, and cradled the marred hand, his fingertips brushing the cut. Like he was encouraging her examination.

Yes, a lot of things to hate - like the way she accepted, right then, that she'd would always be irrevocably attached to him, in a inexplicable, complicated manner in which she'd never been attached to anyone in her entire life - forever tethered, no matter how much she wanted to sever it. Even if it'd cost her her life.

The brand only taunted her, echoing the sentiment.

* * *

Damon's return favor ended up involving the sick friend he had mentioned to Skye and the others before, a woman and Sheriff of Mystic Falls - apparently, her desperate daughter, a friend to Elena and Bonnie and also a vampire, had given her vampire blood in the hopes of saving her from cancer. But the blood had only caused her cancerous cells to replicate faster, putting her on a faster track to death than before. After they had absorbed the information, Kai had scoffed to Skye, "Morons, what did I tell you?" while she had only shaken her head in disapproval, her chest squeezing with sympathy for the woman and her daughter. Damon had sneered at Kai and then explained his hypothesis that, since vampirism was essentially a product of magic, perhaps Kai could siphon it from the older woman's body. He'd only shrugged, smirking. "I guess it's worth a shot. I am incredibly talented, after all."

Damon had then left and went downstairs to wait on them, giving them privacy to don jackets - Skye, the leather jacket she had left in Damon's car, and he' d brought up earlier in the day, and Kai, a gray, hooded zip-up from Alaric's closet - to cover up their more noticeable blood-stains. And bandage up their hands, using supplies from the medicine cabinet - Kai had pursed his lips, but said nothing as she covered up the "K."

Then they all departed to the hospital.

Once inside Liz's room, they were met with Elena, fully recovered, it seemed, from her mop handle injury and holding down the fort, a seemingly permanent fixture at the Sheriff's bedside. The Sheriff herself was pale and weary, but her gaze turned warm as Damon came to be at Elena' s side. "Hey, Liz," the male vampire greeted, with a smirk. "Elena explained everything to you, right?" The woman nodded, sparing Kai and Skye a brief glance past his shoulder. "Don't worry," Damon reassured her. "If the freak tries anything, I'll snap his neck, and the blonde's harmless."

However, Elena glared at them as they made their way further into the room, her look also tinged with suspicion, which was to be expected, Skye guessed, considering what happened the last time they had all been in the same space.

So if Skye had to classify what the atmosphere was like, well...awkward was putting lightly. And she didn't really know how to act, so she stuck close to Kai's side, counting on him to be the extroverted one of them as usual. She was a little unnerved, though, that his mouth stayed shut, even after Damon's insult.

She felt all of their companion's eyes on them then as she followed behind Kai, who walked to the sink on the furthest wall.

He washed his hands at the sink, applying a liberal amount of soap, but careful to avoid wetting his band-aid.

"Alright," he said once finished, shaking his hands of residual moisture and reaching for the paper towel dispenser. "I need a 12 gauge needle, stat."

He dried his hands as he walked around Skye towards the other, unoccupied side of Liz's hospital bed."I don't know what I'm gonna do with it, but I need it."

In the wake of this display, Skye realized he'd returned back to normal. Elena and Damon stood opposite him, regarding him with exasperation, both sets of arms crossed.

He tossed his used paper towel carelessly to the floor. Skye sighed, then picked up the wadded up paper towel, and dropped it in a trash can a few feet away as Elena rebuked him, "You're not a doctor so stop playing games."

Skye figured this would be a bad time to mention that he had a pre-medical degree, an accomplishment she knew Elena could not claim herself.

"Because I am a vampire, and I will rip your head off if you screw this up," she threatened, but it only caused Kai to tilt his head, assessing her doubtfully.

"What she said," Damon chimed in. "So do your stupid little magic suction trick, and suck the magic out of her right now."

"I get what you two see in each other," Kai announced, as his eyes flitted between the pair. "It's very dys-_fun_-ctional."

He elbowed Skye next, throwing her a quick smile. "Kinda like us, babe."

She scowled back at him. Because what they had seemed to be way more toxic and twisted than the couple across from them, at least at first glance. Dysfunctional was an understatement. "No, for us, it's more like the _hell _in unhealthy."

He giggled, his eyes gleaming approvingly. "Clever. I think mine was better, though. 'Cause the word 'fun' is actually apar-"

"Just get on with it, Kai. Listening to you talk makes me want to die," the woman in the hospital bed finally piped up, interrupting him.

Skye resisted a snort as Kai pointed a finger up at her. "That's good," he complimented, actually sounding sincere.

Using one hand, he encircled one of her wrists that laid on the bed limply, then pressed his other palm to her jaw. Liz glanced at Elena, searching for solidarity, and Elena's focus went to Kai, observing him carefully.

He took another deep breathe in and closed his eyes.

He must've began the siphoning because Liz's own eyes closed and her head tipped back. Her heart monitor spiked, growing louder as her pulse rate increased steadily.

"Is it working?" Damon asked after a moment.

"I have no idea," Elena said.

"Is her skin glowing orange?" Skye interjected, trying to be helpful.

Damon and Elena shot her strange looks.

That's when Jo walked in through the open door, eyes widening as she took in the situation. Skye was at least glad to see Jo appearing healthy and walking upright, but not too eager for what would follow once she'd realized whose side Skye was at, both literally and figuratively now.

"Skye?" she asked, curiously.

But, actually, they were caught, red-handedly apparently, based on Damon's and Elena's guilty reactions, both freezing when they heard Jo's voice.

"What the hell is going on?" she asked, directing her question at the vampires, who'd both just pivoted around simultaneously, wearing matching sheepish expressions. Their movement must've revealed Kai because her finger went up instantly, pointing towards him. "What is _he _doing here?"she demanded indignantly.

Skye knew Kai's eyes had opened at her first question, and he addressed her, coldly. "Hey, sis. Little busy. Be with you in a jiffy."

But she ignored him as the monitor became more panicked, desperate for an explanation. "_Elena_?" she prompted.

"I'm gonna let Damon explain," Elena said.

"Yeah," Damon concurred as he walked towards Jo, shepherding her out of the door.

"I'm staying with you two," Elena told Kai and Skye as she turned back to them.

Soon, Liz's skin was glowing a faint orange, where Kai's hands were in close contact. The older woman's face was screwed up, but no sound escaped. Skye couldn't tell if she was in pain or enjoying the sensation. All at once, she slumped back, her eyes opening.

"There," Kai announced, removing his hands. "All done."

Elena leaned down, until she was in Liz's face, speaking softly. "Sheriff, hey. How're you feeling? You okay?"

The woman looked wind-swept. "Yeah, yeah, I think so," she said, sounding elated and surprised.

Elena smiled, but it fell when Liz grunted, then her arm came up, clutching at her chest, her heart monitor warning of her distress as her pulse rate rose too quickly all of a sudden.

"No, no, no ... I think she's having a heart attack," Elena said, panicked. Liz gasped out in pain.

Skye grabbed Kai's arm, alarmed. "Kai-"

But he shook her off. "Oh, that is so tragic. You know, 'cause you guys jumped through hoops to get the magic out of her system, but then her ticker's just not strong enough to take a little siphoning," he said, mock-sympathetically.

The machine continued to blare as Elena desperately whirled to the door, hoping undoubtedly for saviors in the form of qualified nurses and doctors.

Skye felt Kai grasp her hand, already knowing what was coming next. And she was truly sorry for it.

Elena turned back as Liz cried out again, almost falling off the bed with her spasm.

Elena reached out to her, stabilizing her, before she commanded, "Kai, you have to fix this-"

But they were gone from view, Skye could tell from Elena's sudden perplexity, the way she stopped her efforts to glance around the room, blindly.

But she lost sight of Elena as Kai dragged her out the door.

"Kai," she started again when they were in the hallway, the shrill beeping of the heart monitor growing fainter.

"Ah,ah, ah," he tutted, as he pulled her along, pausing momentarily to glance in the window of a door. "Not a word. You promised, babe."

"I didn't actually promise anything. I never accepted the deal, remember?" she reminded, as she scanned behind her and was met with an empty nurse's station. Where was everyone in this ridiculous hospital? Didn't they know one of the patients was in cardiac arrest?

"But you chose me, remember?" Kai retorted. And she remembered all too vividly the moment when she couldn't quite bring herself to draw the knife across his throat. "Choosing me comes with the same set of rules I told you before." His hand slid up until it cupped her elbow, and he drew her closer to him, halting briefly, smirking down at her. "Also, same reward. And it starts now. I know you like to fight me, babe. I like it sometimes, too." Then his voice dropped, becoming dark and deep. His eyes burned through her, stern and warning. "But _don't _fight me on this, Skye. You want to be apart of the winning team, trust me." Then he added, offhandedly, "And, by the way, this the last deal we're ever discussing."

Gazing back at him, she swallowed. "Fine," she said finally, avidly observing his reaction, but it was indecipherable.

They started walking again, him stopping every so often to peer in more windows, his hand still clasping her elbow.

Frustrated, Skye yanked her arm out of his grip. "You know I'm perfectly capable of walking, Mal. There's no need to manhandle me _all the time_."

His replying smirk was playful. "Maybe, I just wanted to hold your hand." But he didn't try to grab her arm again, and she was grateful.

"Yeah, sure, Paul McCartney," she said scornfully as they came to a stop at the last door of the long hallway.

He laughed heartily at that, but it died out quickly as he looked through the window, and his face became grimly delighted. "Oh, tonight is gonna be so much fun," he said wistfully.

Looking through the window, she was the reason for his statement. Jo and Damon were in the room, arguing.

Kai turned the handle, swinging the door open until it was cracked, leaving a space she was skeptical he'd be able to fit through.

"Stay here, babe," he instructed anyway. And he slipped through without issue. _Of course he did_, she thought. He walked directly up behind Damon, grasped his head, and twisted swiftly. She heard the grotesque snap. The vampire fell instantly, his neck at an awkward angle. Skye cringed, but felt no compassion for him. Any well-meaning she'd harbored for the vampire had dissolved the day she had been exposed to his single-mindedness.

Jo only appeared forlorn as Kai revealed himself, them briefly exchanging words Skye couldn't hear, and then Jo's expression became resolved as Kai grabbed her wrist, pulling her towards the door.

* * *

Now, it was Jo's turn to be exposed to Kai's special of way of "hand-holding" as they left the hospital, and he directed them across a street to a small park. Which more resembled a town green space, covered in trees, and intersected with winding sidewalks and lampposts.

Skye worked to keep with with Kai's rapid pace and tried to avoid Jo's eyes, feeling guilty now.

Kai kept giving quick glances behind and around them, probably paranoid that Damon was on their tail.

"So you're just gonna go along with whatever he has planned again?" Jo finally spoke, and Skye flinched, at being called out. She kept her focus straight ahead, however.

"Oh, Josette," Kai said icily. "You're wasting what little precious breath you have left."

Jo wasn't deterred. "I reached out to you, helped you, because I thought you were smarter than this," Jo told her solemnly.

Skye only shook her head. _Apparently not_, she thought gravely. There was no accounting for that reckless streak she had, especially where Kai was concerned.

"On the contrary, I think she's wised up," was Kai's rejoinder.

"What happened to that girl who told me, just a few days ago, that _all of this _was all Kai's fault?"

She was still that same girl, she just now had her mouth taped shut.

Kai deadpanned, "Sorry, Skye has this condition now, where she can't listen to stupidity. I know it's weird, but she caught it from me, so I'm gonna have to ask you to shut up." He reinforced his suggestion with a sharp jerk that had the older woman stumbling.

Once she had regained her composure, she tried again to talk sense into Skye, despite Kai's words, sounding crestfallen. "You're just gonna let him speak for you, Skye?"

Finally, Skye turned her head toward Jo's direction. Both of them were falling slightly behind Kai, and they were able to communicate behind his back.

Jo's face was hard, sharp eyes piercing Skye. _And why was she wasting her breath? _Skye wondered. _I couldn't do anything for her anyway._

Hoping her own eyes were pleading, and willing Jo to understand, she said, carefully, "Jo... my choices are limited."

"Yeah," Kai interjected from between them, grinning. "To me."

That's when they approached an open space - a flag memorial area, it looked like. Paved and surrounded by bare trees and lightposts, dead leaves crunched underfoot, and Kai shoved Jo towards the center, releasing her arm. She stumbled again, but righted herself quickly.

Kai turned to Skye immediately after that, grabbed her arm, and pulled to a spot a few feet away.

"And you get the front row seat," he told her, as he grasped her shoulders, and maneuvered her until she faced Jo at a perfect perpendicular angle , enabling her to see Jo's rigid profile. She crossed her arms as he released her and started back towards Jo, dread and something weirdly akin to anticipation mixing, making her sick to her stomach.

Kai glanced up, while he circled Jo. "Look at all those pretty planets." Automatically, Jo and Skye's gazes went to the sky, observing all the white dots surrounding the crescent moon. "All twinkly and bright."

He finally stopped, right in front of his twin, smirking. "Oh, Josette, you not believe how sick I am of eclipses." He tossed a look over at Skye. "What about you, babe?"

"Seconded," Skye muttered from her spot. Because it was true but she felt out of place, caught up in something she was never supposed to be privy to.

"Let's just get this over with," Jo said.

Kai huffed as he pulled his knife out and prepared to slash one of his his palms for the second time that night. "If you think I didn't spend the last eighteen years of solitary thinking about how you screwed me over last time - " His made the incision skillfully without a flinch, the action seeming all the more ominous and foreboding because of it. "- you're wrong."

He lowered his hand and stared at her balefully. "So if this is just another set-up, I'll rip something out more important than a spleen. Like a tongue, or a _heart_." The last part whispered with even more implicit malicious intent.

Skye shuddered involuntarily, but she had to give Jo credit. The woman only stood her ground, her neutral expression unwavering.

"So any closing remarks?" Kai asked cheerfully.

"You're a parasite," she said evenly. "You killed the people I loved. You shoved a hunting knife in my gut. You destroyed my life." She held her hand up between them. "Now I'm gonna destroy yours," she promised confidently.

Skye was proud of her, though she doubted Jo would appreciate it.

Kai was not impressed and grabbed her hand roughly.

"I guess we'll see," he murmured as he slit her palm viciously. She broke composure, hissing. "Won't we?"

He grasped hold of her other hand forcefully, and she initiated the Merge, chanting, "_Sanguinem desimilus... Sanguinem generis fiantus...Sanguinem desimilus... Sanguinem generis fiantus..._"

Kai's smile was darkly pleased as she continued, closing her eyes. Then he joined in, repeating the Latin words, closing his eyes too.

As they proceeded, the wind picked up and the fallen leaves surrounding them rose into the air, flying around them. Jo and Skye's hair started whipping about wildly.

Skye felt the air crackle with energy, a static charge, and it was only increasing in strength, until, suddenly, Jo jolted out her magic-induced trance, gasping,. She fell to the ground, and Kai stood, bafflement and anger warring for dominance in his expression.

Luke appeared from the opposite direction, with a raised hand and dressed in a suit, striding determinedly towards Kai.

"What the hell did you just do?" Kai demanded lividly, as his anger won out.

"Oh, I just gave my big sister a magic knock on the head. But don't worry, she'll be fine," he said, stopping in front of Kai. Who drew up, taking a deep breathe. Striving for control, Skye knew. "But I can't say the same for you or your little girlfriend," Luke added, threateningly.

Kai sneered at him, but Luke's focus was on Skye as he faced her. "You were just gonna stand there and let Jo merge with him? Let him murder another one of us? Jo told me, pretty recently in fact, that you were on our side."

"Newsflash, little brother," Kai cut in hostilely. "She has always been and will always be on my side."

He was ignored as Luke kept his attention on Skye, who finally spoke quietly, "It was her _choice_, Luke."

He retorted, "Yeah, her choice to die!"

"You didn't even give her a chance," Skye argued. "She could've won." Luke looked away then, back to Kai.

But Kai turned to her briefly, his face like stone. "Wow, thanks for the vote of confidence, babe," Kai said, but his voice devoid of it's usual lightness. She only stared back at him, shrugging. She hadn't said it to be mutinous. Simply stating a possibility. A possibility that would probably be in everyone's favor in the end, but one that everyone seemed to think was impossible.

"No, I'm gonna win," Luke told him. "'Cause you're gonna merge with me."

Skye's brow furrowed.

Kai started laughing, which worked into a cackle, and a grin so large she thought his face was gonna break in half. He reached up and patted his hand against Luke's face, mocking. But Luke slapped his hand away and pushed him. Kai let himself fall back back, his hands up in surrender, chuckling at Luke's bravado.

"You wanna merge with me," he stated finally, as if the whole idea was ludicrous. Which it was, even to Skye, and she was on the fringe, looking in, on this whole new world of witches and vampires.

Then Kai dropped all pretenses of good humor. "Hate to break it to you, but we're not twins, alright? That's not how this is supposed to work."

"Well, that's true," Luke conceded. "But we share the same parents, the same bloodline, and, thanks to your time out in the magic penalty box, we're the same age. So it's definitely a hail-Mary -" He opened his jacket and took out a pocket knife. He flipped the blade out casually, eerily similar to his brother in that moment. "-and maybe it won't work. _But _I'd do anything to save my sister's life."

Okay, Skye was then reminded again of how stark their differences were as Kai's eye narrowed.

"So," Luke concluded, cutting into his palm. Then gestured, with the bleeding hand, towards Kai. "We're gonna give it the old college try."

"Thanks, but I'm gonna pass," Kai said as he backed away in Skye's direction.

Luke's hand rose. "_Phasmatos Motus Robix_."

Kai's body froze then seemed gripped by an invisible force as he was reeled in swiftly until he reached Luke. Who grabbed his jaw, smushing his cheeks. "Oh, are you afraid to play chicken with someone who might actually beat you?" Luke taunted.

Skye didn't even need to see Kai's face to know that his expression, while he was being held in a such an embarrassing position by his little brother, was probably his infamous murderous one.

Kai jerked Luke's hand away then tossed it back at him.

Luke only raised his other, in a invitation. "Fine," Kai said, sounding deadly, as he snatched both of his brother's hands. "It's your funeral."

They began the Merge together, hands joined tightly, reciting the same incantation, their eyes already closed. "_Sanguinem desimilus... Sanguinem generis fiantus...Sanguinem desimilus... Sanguinem generis fiantus..._"

Instantaneously, the wind picked up again, swirling more leaves around, as the static charge built, stronger and quicker than before. It affected the lights above their heads now, causing them to spark sporadically as the two men persisted.

Skye's dread became fear at that point, and her anticipation became an unwilling a fascination - she moved closer to them, unable to help her curiosity.

She couldn't be sure, but she thought she saw their veins blacken, standing out against their pale skin.

That was also when she noticed motion out of the corner of her eye. Jo was stirring as the lights blew out, one by one in a fast succession. She squinted up at the pair.

"Luke, no!" she called. They were finally plunged into darkness - the only illumination now was the moonlight, bare and streaming from above.

Skye watched raptly as both Kai and Luke stiffened, then their eyes shot open, revealing eyes that were entirely white and opaque.

"_Don't_!" Jo, again.

Now, their chanting sounded mechanical, inhuman until, all at once, it ceased.

And they both toppled backwards, almost comically, landing on the ground with hard thuds, limbs rebounding.

"_No_!" Jo exclaimed. She crawled to Luke's side and propped up his head in her lap. She shook him. "_Luke_...come on, Luke."

And Skye, for her part, dropped to her knees at Kai's side. Because that was where she had promised to stay. And Jo's increasing panic was getting to her, making her feel desperate too. At least that's what she told herself as she clutched the limp hand that rested on his stomach, with both of her own.

Jo stroked Luke's hair, her voice shaky. "Wake up. Wake up."

But Skye couldn't get Kai's name past her lips. Or any encouragements. Just examined his face, still and peaceful. Looking like he was asleep and not like he had just participated in some strange witchy ritual and was, possibly, on the edge of death.

She reached up with one hand and lifted his lid. His eyes were still milky white, and she recoiled.

Jo was crying now, still brushing his hair and still whispering Luke's name brokenly.

Skye's head raised as she heard footsteps then saw Damon appear out of the shadows. He walked cautiously past her, taking in the scene with his eyebrows drawn together.

He approached Jo and Luke.

Skye half-turned towards them, her hands still clutching onto Kai's.

"Good, you still alive," he said glibly. "That's gonna save me a huge blowout with Ric when he gets back." He looked between them, both of them at unconscious men's sides. "I am definitely coming in to something late."

Jo explained tearfully, "Luke showed up, and he Merged with Kai."

"Huh, so I guess adding the words 'twin Merge' to my vocabulary was pointless 'cause they ain't twins," he drawled.

Skye wanted to yell at Damon, tell him what an idiot he was - because that was the one truth she could agree with Kai on now - but she let Jo take it, as the other woman glared up at Damon. "He wasn't supposed to be here. The only reason he's here is because you let Kai out," she accused, hatefully.

Skye couldn't see Damon's expression, but she'd bet he was unashamed.

"Luke, wake up," Jo whispered again, dismissing Damon. "Wake up, Luke."

"Uh... I'll give him some of my blood," Damon said, lifting his arm, preparing to pull his jacket sleeve down. _And there was his attempt at saving face_, Skye said to herself.

"It wouldn't help," Jo told him, and he faltered in his action of bringing his wrist to his mouth. "It's up to them now," she informed, casting a look at Kai. Then her eyes met Skye's, but they had lost their hardness, replaced with despondency. "Whoever wakes up is the winner. And whoever doesn't..." she trailed off, because all of the people present were already well-aware of the implications.

Abruptly, the figure in Jo's arms moved and breathed in a deep gasp, his eyes fluttering, and Skye's heart stopping beating then shuddered in her chest. Oh, my God, ohmyGodohmy GodohmyGod - she couldn't - no… _no_.

Jo's intense relief didn't help. But _she_, Skye, should be relieved. That was her only coherent thought right then, amidst the unintelligible chaos of her mind.

"Luke, can you hear me?" Jo asked, daring to smile. "Luke?"

But then he wheezed and he stopped shifting as his eyes opened. He exhaled a breath...that sounded weak...that sounded final as his body sagged. Jo's panic returned in an instant, her mouth falling open. "Oh, my God," she breathed. "Oh, my God. _Luke_." She bent over, overcome by grief as Damon watched on.

And Skye felt movement against her fingers. Her head snapped back around, immediately, unnoticed by Jo and Damon.

Kai beamed up at her from the ground. Then he raised a finger to his lips, signaling her to be silent. And she was ashamed...because there was the relief ... profound and _wrong _but it coursed through her body anyway at the sight of his open, alive eyes. At the fact that he was moving - sitting up. That he still hadn't let out a death rattle, like his soul was leaving his body.

He stood, pulling her with him, their hands never breaking contact.

"He's gone...he saved me and he's gone," Jo was saying, unbelieving, as she looked up at Damon.

"You win some, you lose some," Kai said coolly. Damon wheeled around and Jo gasped,

shocked, as they both finally took in the reality they had been trying to prevent this whole time.

Skye couldn't help but muse on how fruitless their efforts had been, how much time and energy they had wasted...while Bonnie still rotted away in the Prison World because they'd been too busy trying to stop Kai.

_Kai has always been a pretty efficient little shit, _Skye reflected bleakly.

"Except for me," Kai added smugly, putting it more succinctly. "I always win."

And she didn't understand, right at that moment, how she could've ever thought otherwise.

Damon started forward menacingly, but halted just a second later.

Skye figured they had disappeared again, based on Damon's actions as he spun around in all different directions like his girlfriend had earlier in the hospital room.

Kai lead her briskly away, down one of the different sidewalks that branched off the paved area.

She glanced back several times as they departed, to see Jo and Damon shrinking, but still occupying the same places. Still shell-shocked. Still at a loss.

And Luke was still dead.

And Skye assumed, as she glanced down to the hand she grasped, she was about to be...

* * *

Once they were a safe distance away, the clearing finally out of Skye's sight through the dense fog, Kai finally spoke, his voice lilting with a muted excitement, "We should celebrate, babe. You wanna go to a bar or are you feeling somewhere a little more intimate?"

Stricken by his words, Skye balked. Then waited until he realized, and swung around to her, sighing impatiently. "Celebrate the fact that another one of your siblings died because of you?" she asked, her voice cracking slightly before the 'you.' She cleared her throat indiscreetly. "Yeah, I don't think so."

Kai scrutinized her for a long moment, hard-faced. "I thought a part of our deal was that you don't question me?"

"That was the first deal," she corrected quietly.

He laughed, dry and humorless, and waved his hand. "Oh, right. There's been so many of them, I get mixed up." But he sobered the next second, humoring her. "That was his choice, Skye. Not mine."

She shook her head. "Convenient excuse." It was certainly not something he could claim with his other siblings.

His head tilted. "Wait, isn't that the one you used for justifying why you were willing to let Jo Merge with me?"

"As if I could stop it. Or you, rather."

And this was getting dangerous, she didn't know what exactly she was accusing him of. Or why she was accusing him at all. Because she knew he didn't care that Luke was dead. Why should he? He was a sociopath, and he had gotten what he wanted. Nothing new, and making him see fault in it was a complete waste of her time.

But that was the problem... he'd won the Merge. It meant that he was the new Leader of the Gemini coven. That he had dethroned his father, and was ready to move to the next phase of his revenge.

"But you didn't try to stop Jo," Kai pointed out. "Or Luke."

"Yeah, I'm not supposed to interfere, as per our deal. Remember?"

It meant a lot for their deal too. That he was supposed to use his new-found power to find her family's whereabouts. How she thought she wouldn't get to live to see that far, because, _again_, he truly didn't care.

She had fulfilled her purpose. Even before the Merge; it was proven when he unlinked them. And took away the only leverage she had had against him. So nothing stopped him now.

"I don't think that's why," Kai told her. She blinked, finally focusing on his face instead of the ground between them. He took a step closer to her, his expression one of indifference, but his eyes held a crafty calculation. "I think you wanted me to win. To get what I've always wanted." He took another step closer, and she stepped back.

She had only accepted his new proposal in the hallway of the hospital because...well, she was just so damn _tired_. He'd had just left a woman to die of a siphoning-induced heart attack, and the 'K' on her hand had still been throbbing under the band-aid.

"Because you still care about what I want." He grinned confidently, emphasizing his words.

"You're wrong, Mal," she said easily, distractedly. Then she realized she wasn't tired anymore...her mind going a mile a minute, still caught up in the high of the relief from earlier. And it was morphing into something more treacherous - hope, because she was ready to fight, even it was her last act. "I care about what I want," she said vehemently.

Kai's eyes flashed with annoyance and frustration. And he tried a new route.

"Well then, did you _want _me to die?" he demanded shortly, jaw clenched, before his tone turned mock-cajoling. "Be honest, now. This is a safe space."

Snapping back to full attention, she glowered at him, silently. For far too long, and it gave him all the answer he needed.

"That's what I thought." He smiled, but close-mouthed, and it was insufferably arrogant, arrestingly devious, and terribly genuine; it really exemplified everything she hated about him at that moment, as she prepped herself to survive him. "You can't even lie ab-"

Her hand swung up before she even thought about it and connected with his cheek. The loud smacking sound resounded through the air around them, whipping his face to the side.

He rubbed his jaw gingerly, still turned away, then huffed out a laugh - one full of disbelief

and danger.

Skye was heart-stoppingly convinced, right then, that _that _was the action that had actually signed her death certificate.

A conviction only strengthened the next second when he lunged at her, his hands up like he was going for her throat. In the split second she waited for the impact, she clamped her eyes shut. Like a coward. So much for fighting back.

However, she was startled because she only felt ... his lips land harshly against her's. His fingers sliding _over _her neck, not around, until they tangled into her hair.

He was kissing her?... yes, his mouth moved over hers, greedily pulling.

But she was hesitant to return it, still terrified.

That is until he pried her lips apart with his tongue, and her whole mouth opened, out of habit.

Then they were kissing fiercely, feverishly.

He started backing her up, bodily, onto the grass, until her back met with a tree. And he drew away, his mouth finding her neck, while she regained necessary oxygen.

_What was happening?_ she asked herself shakily, as her eyes roved the park and the darkness, and he licked a hot trail from her collarbone to her ear.

She had been expecting to die.

She had told herself earlier that night that she hadn't cared if she did, but being on the brink of it with a newly minted witch leader-sociopath right behind her, ready to push, her sense of self-preservation was kicking in.

And every moment he was kissing her mouth and her neck was every moment he wasn't killing her, wasn't hurting her.

And hope swirled back in again. She would be more than happy to ride _this _out, free of objections, wouldn't stop to question him now. Maybe after, he would be more malleable to her.

Much like she was usually malleable to him.

She wouldn't say she was putty under his hands, because they were also hands that had harmed her. Hands that were ruthless even now as he wringed her ribs, leaving them sore, but her craving for more. It wasn't threatening, but demanding, an expression of his insistent lust.

Besides, she reasoned she had always been a bit of masochist. A perfect compliment to a sadist.

So she grasped one shoulder tightly as her other hand dug into his hair. She sighed as he scraped his teeth against her neck then started sucking while he pressed himself more closely against her. His hands found their way under her shirt and squeezed her breasts with both hands, his thumbs flicking at her achingly hard nipples. She groaned, the sound egging him on as he squeezed and sucked harder.

She had almost lost him just then. He had literally been on the precipice of death, much closer than she had gotten. And it had been just as terrifying, if not more, than the moment she had thought he was lunging at her to kill her.

This was _insane _... he was _insane_... and _she was insane _for feeling this way.

It had always been difficult to reconcile the two sides of him - the one capable of killing her and the one capable of kissing her. Just like it was hard to reconcile the two parts of her that felt so strongly and so adversely for him. That part that was still attracted to him, and the part that truly hated him for everything horrible he'd done.

And she faltered then, going tense, thinking back to all the times he had lured her in with sex only to pull a 180 and make her bleed instead.

He must have sensed the change in her because he grasped her waist under her shirt, hefting her up against the tree, effectively trapping her between his body and the rough bark, bringing their hips in perfect alignment. Which he took advantage of immediately, grinding against her, his teeth pinching her neck. Her mind went blank, heady and pulsing want clouding it instead.

She clutched his hair tighter, tugging his head back. Then pulling his face to her's, she kissed him aggressively. He grabbed the backs of her thighs, lifting them, encouraging her to lock them around his waist.

Their hips moved more vigorously against each other, as their lips did, mirroring.

Before long, his fingers were dipping past her waistband, and she froze.

"Kai," she rasped, breaking the kiss. "I'm not having sex with you against a tree."

The words were her last attempt at some semblance of control, borne of her lingering trepidation, in a situation which was rapidly devolving. Because, while she was caught up with him like usual, she was still not entirely convinced he wouldn't turn on her. Like he had some many times before. _And a park is a perfect place to dump a body_, was the errant thought that repeated in her head. At least it always seemed like that was a universal truth, based on all those cop shows she watched over and over again in the Prison World.

And if she got him to listen to her now, perhaps it meant she could get what she wanted, in the end. Malleability.

He groaned, frustrated, into her neck. "We're cloaked."

His hands resumed their wandering downward, fingers brushing her wet slit. "And you seem more than ready," he told her, his voice husky and everything she did not need in that moment.

Skye choked out a moan - whether from his voice or the contact, she didn't know which- but then remembering herself, pushed at his shoulders, loosening her legs. "We don't have protection."

"Oh my god," he breathed in her ear, inducing a shiver.

His hands retreated from her jeans then he was pulling them away from the tree. His hands now cupped her ass from underneath, his fingers still too close to certain intimate parts, and they were her only purchase since her legs and resolve were both weak. She refused to hold onto him too tightly, careful not to rub herself against him, because they'd never make it to a new location.

Kai carried her back to the sidewalk, where he set her down on legs that swayed.

"Come on," he said, grabbing her hand. He pulled her along until the reached a parking lot, situated on the fringe of park, across the street from a bar. One that looked like it was very lively on the inside, but muted from an outsider's perspective.

He put one hand on the hood of a Ford sedan there, and the engine purred to life.

Skye was still too caught up in desire, in the thick atmosphere that had enveloped them, dense with denied want, that it never really crossed her mind to care about the crime they were committing as they got into the car, and Kai peeled out of the parking lot.

The car ride itself - excruciating. He never tried to touch her once and she kept her fists clenched at her sides. She figured she had pissed him off, until they stopped at a gas station along the main drag. He got out wordlessly and returned with a bag. He set in the floorboard at her feet, careful not to even brush against her, and her mind howled at the deprivation.

But then she glimpsed inside the bag. A box of condoms.

So he was listening to her requests - that had to be a good sign. Willing to go through the trouble it took to make her comfortable, and not wanting to kill her for over-complicating the entire situation.

He drove ten more minutes, until they arrived at the edge of Whitmore, and her bewilderment and fear increased again. The forest would be better than - more standard - than a park now that she thought about it. But then they crested a hill and a one-story motel's neon sign came into view.

Kai cruised into the parking lot, and parked the stolen car in the front, by the door labelled, "OFFICE."

"Stay here," he ordered gruffly as opened the door.

She watched as he walked in and presumably paid for a room, cursing the building's lack of windows and idly wondering how Kai could have money on him.

Three minutes later, and he was walking out of the door, dangling keys in front of him and grinning wickedly.

She rushed out of the car, with the plastic bag in hand.

He began strolling down the sidewalk without her, passing by several rooms. Skye was hot on his heels, however.

He finally stopped at Room 8, and inserted the key in the lock, fumbling as impatient as he was to secure entrance. She stopped a few feet away, bolstered again as she felt his need. Finally, the door swung open and the searing look he sent her had her, mindlessly, following him across the threshold, her breathing already unsteady again.

As soon as the door was shut, she was pushed against it, her jacket ripped off and her shirt flying off, over her head in a quick succession. She dropped the plastic bag.

"Is this good enough for your standards, babe?"

Like she could check out her surroundings when her only focus, in that moment, was him and what he planned to do to her. So, she only replied with her sarcastic smile as they both kicked off their shoes.

He didn't even bother unbuttoning or unzipping her jeans, just shoved them down to the floor. "It's wasn't very nice to make me wait all this time," he chastised as he straightened, and pulled her into him, his arms circling around her to her back to unclasp her bra. With little effort, he was pulling her arms out of the straps, discarding with a careless throw over his shoulder onto the floor. "And then make me wait some more."

He paused and took a step back, appraising her just in her panties, his hungry gaze familiar to her, but still causing a heatwave to tear through her.

"Now who's making who wait?" she asked as she stepped forward, reaching for the zipper of the jacket he still wore. She unzipped it, shrugging it off then pulled off his shirt. He let her, his face now unnervingly calm and inscrutable. Trying to even the playing field, she went next for his jean's button, but then his hand was there, stopping her.

His mouth was on her's again, as he pulled her into him again, this time her bare breasts rubbing against his bare chest, a guttural sound passing his lips, right against her's, at the contact. He pivoted them and directed her backwards as he continued to kiss her.

He pushed her down on the bed, breaking the kiss. He slid her body up until her head hit the pillows, and his whole body was on the bed. Then he spread her legs apart and his head dipped down between her thighs.

Before the prison world, sex with Kai become an enjoyable adventure - he took all the perceptions she had formed about sexual encounters and threw them out of the window. She had been used to awkward fumbles and weird intensity that ultimately left her lacking - no fun to be had like she had always heard. Kai, however, was mostly playful in his approach and deft in his actions. He would keep up a constant stream of random commentary that wasn't even dirty or relevant. That had first discombobulated then annoyed her but it soon became her favorite part because it was amusing...and because it was _him_. The sex was hardly ever serious. Hardly ever emotional, and she'd had a small issue with that after all. But they worked through it.

He would get her to try new things - public trysts, different types of sex, experimentations with food, interesting positions. They soon discovered Skye's latent penchant for having a little bit of pain mixed with her pleasure, but he never did anything that was too extreme - just some biting, some spanking. One or twice, some hot candle wax dripped onto her skin.

He always managed to get her off, like it was what he lived for in those moments. But what she really lived for was the moment when he stilled, his mouth falling open, his eyes closing, as he finished. Then he would open his eyes, warm with lust, instantly lock them with hers, and flash her a lazy grin. Just that look alone would make her ready for a round two.

In the prison world, sex was all about exploitation. She would block him out, just focus on herself. He would do the same. It was like a war, trying to hurt one another, aiming to draw blood. All teeth, taunting remarks, and no tenderness or mouth-on-mouth kissing. No, the only kisses were ironic, ones pressed with half a false tenderness and half bruising force from both to the other's skin, coupled with vicious bites from Kai that went unsoothed, and scratches courtesy of Skye that could sting for days. There was often retaliatory hair pulling on both sides. Usually, hard and fast, they would unleash their pent-up aggression and hate.

It was raw and punishing - unchecked but mutual brutality that, most times, left her feeling awful. Because, most times, they only went long enough for one of them to reach their release. Which was usually his. And he hadn't cared how disgruntled or angry it made her.

The only time it went any differently was when they were on relatively good terms in the middle of a particular faux-domestic cycle, or during Operation Blue Lagoon. Still it was different than before because Kai didn't hide his darker predilections or his true reactions now, having no reason to. At times, she was left her a bit unsettled by the dead look in his eyes even as actions were slow or tender.

But this time, it all felt so different, Skye really had to question if the man half-naked between her legs was really Kai. As she laid bared to him, on their newly rented motel bed, her legs open wide enough to accommodate him as his hand held her the crotch of her panties aside and his tongue plunged into her folds, stroking deeply and languidly. He hadn't done this in a very long time. And he had never been this thorough about it, at least that she could remember from the most recent past.

Her hands clenched the covers, and she writhed against his mouth, gasping. The pleasant tremors rippling through her feeling more like torture ... her body was still painfully sensitive to the friction from earlier. And he was coaxing an orgasm from her all too easily, simply using his mouth.

But then he pulled back, leaving her bereft below, and she really shouldn't have been surprised as she was.

A protest threatened to burst out, but it died quickly as he leaned down, nestling his hips in between her legs. He reached out to cup her face, his cuts rough on her skin.

He kissed her again, but this time slowly, keeping the pressure feather-light, and when she tried to press forward, grabbed the back of his head, to deepen it, he wrenched back.

Puzzled, she scanned his face only to find his own eyes dilated black, from the dingy motel's low light, and intent of _her _face. They were unreadable even as they met her eyes, and then he attempted a smirk that quickly turned into a grimace.

Now she was concerned, but before she could say anything, he pushed forward and covered her mouth with his again, this time more forcefully, his tongue sliding across her teeth.

She responded passionately because she was all in, at this point, all thoughts of control and how important it was fading away. She was finally beyond ready for some real relief, the kind that left her floating, not the kind from earlier that weighed her down, reminded her attached she was to Kai. And... it had been such a long time.

Throughout the whole exchange that followed, it seemed like Kai was warring with himself. Whether to be gentle or rough, so he was both. Gentle when he kissed her periodically, rough when he finally - after pulling off his jeans and boxers and kicking them to the side of the bed, slipping on the condom he'd levitated out of the bag, out of the box, and the foil package, and over to them, simply ripping the flimsy fabric of her panties away from her entrance despite her complaint with a curt, "I'll fix them later" - thrust himself deep inside her, to the hilt. He pulled out until the just the tip was present and then repeated the action. She gripped his back tightly and wrapped her legs around his waist, her heels digging into his ass. She let out a shuddering sigh each time he entered.

But then Kai started rocking against her consistently, deliberately, at a slow pace, savoring.

He fought between whether to focus on her or himself, his eyes opening and closing. He picked her most times, staring with blazing eyes, the fingers of his left hand never leaving her face, bracing his right arm beside her head, against the bed.

Alternatively, Skye kept her eyes opened all the while, trained on him in utter fascination as he moved in her, on her, against her. She met him each torturous thrust for thrust, wanting to go faster, but she realized his intentions; he wanted to last. She decided she wanted to speed it up, and began her own ministrations when he wasn't trying to kiss her - raising up with the arm she slung around his shoulder, sucking on his collarbone, grazing his earlobe. Tugs of his soft strands, repeated pulls on the pendant of the necklace she'd gifted him so long ago, as it hovered above her, brushing coldly against her chest - each action eliciting low moans from his mouth in intervals.

This time was a cross between the two ways of sex they'd had always engaged. It was as intense as their hate sex except it lacked any real harshness or any promise of harm. And he stayed quiet, save the occasional grunts and moans, not one word passing his lips since they had laid down on the bed - something that had _never _happened before.

Similar to their pre-prison word sex in that it was more tender and filled with real kissing, a focus on the other's pleasure, instead of themselves.

He increased his pace, finally, now pumping wildly and she inhaled sharply, "_Kai_."

The thumb of his left hand edge its way into her parted mouth. She bit down on the nail, watching him. He shuddered, and she started sucking.

His right arm came up, and gripping the headboard, (which had been knocking rhythmically against the wall) he surged forward again and again, slamming into her savagely. She clawed angry red lines into his back.

Okay, so less tender, but not nearly as hateful.

The smell of something burning hit her from far away, but it wasn't relevant to her, to them, then.

No, her skin was humming, endless goosebumps - her mind sweetly blank of anything but what her senses processed. The salty taste of his sweat on her tongue, the unmistakable musk of sex permeating the air, his smooth, taut skin of his chest under her exploratory fingertips, his heavy breathing in her ear, his sharp features close to hers. How he was the only thing in her vision, filling it as he filled her, his well-placed thrusts already long causing something overwhelming to build up in her.

She was over-stimulated, and it was wonderful to not have to think ... only feel.

But Kai was slowing, his muscles tightening.

"No, Kai- ," Skye blurted, desperate, her mind jumping back to all the times he didn't let her finish. She was afraid he'd do the same now, finally turn on her, especially since she was so close.

Then his hand finally left her face and went down, rubbed at her clit vigorously as he leaned down to nip at her jaw and thrust three more times.

That spurred her climax - she flushed from head to toe, her walls clenched around his length, and the floating feeling that ensued shortly after substantially gratifying and significant.

Her name spilled from his lips as he spasmed then stilled, his orgasm happening almost simultaneously, his mouth falling open like usually. Before he collapsed on her, heavily, his face buried in her chest, his arm falling limply from the headboard.

For a long time, they just laid, panting. She stroked his damp hair and he pressed what felt like small, open-mouthed kisses against her slick skin.

When the black dots had cleared from Skye's vision, and a drowsiness daze set in instead, she pushed at his shoulders.

He rolled off her, landing on his side, his hand coming back up to rest on her cheek.

They faced each other, his eyes smoldering once again. When she couldn't take the intensity of his gaze anymore, she closed her eyes.

This round was sex something that would be forever imprinted on her mind, as a singular experience with Kai that would probably never be topped again.

_It _\- _he_\- hadn't felt this good in so long.

Skye felt as if he could turn on her now, and she'd be unperturbed because she was alright with _this _really being her last act, her last fight - where she'd made it to the end of something, and Kai didn't even know he had let her.

* * *

Kai laid on his side, his hand still on her cheek, looking at Skye as she drifted to sleep. Her features were relaxed, no doubt entrenched in a post-coital haze. Kai wished he was as mindless at the moment, but his brain was going a mile a minute - flashes of the whole night running through it endlessly.

Luke, still, in Jo's lap.

Jo with tear-tracks on her cheeks.

Feeling the magic stirring blissfully in his veins as soon as he woke - the power purer, more unadulterated than ever before. Perhaps because it wasn't borrowed, because it flowed directly to him.

The even more unbelievable sensation that had followed, when he had finally been with Skye again - more potent than ever before as well. The same sensation that flared whenever he kissed or touched her (or hurt her), the substitute he had haphazardly discovered in place of magic all the years ago, was now a weak imitation in comparison. He figured his new, permanent magic had helped to enhance the whole experience - he had barely kept in check the whole time, almost setting the headbed on fire, and he was sure it had affected Skye too.

Skye's slap, however, was at the forefront of his mind.

It bothered him , not the violence of it - in retrospect, he was actually pretty, perversely proud of how hard the hit had been, he could still feel the sting of it on his skin - but how he had reacted to it in the moment.

He recalled back to the last time she had lashed out at him, when she had woken up in the car in the real world for the first time in eighteen years. She had struck in the chest and scratched his face, and he had retaliated, crushing her wrists and grabbing her hair. He had threatened her, telling he would abandon her in a pool of her own blood. And he had meant it, with every fibre of his being, completely ready to hurt, to punish her, for all her recent indiscretions.

He had held no such inclination after the slap, kissing her instead. Even though it smarted a bit, and not in a literal sense. And he had suffered a violent urge, but not to hurt her... then, anyway.

He shifted on the mattress, closer to Skye. Immediately, she turned over as if she felt his movements, going to the edge the bed, her bare back to him.

He frowned.

Kai stood from the bed, then carefully pulled the rumpled covers back, easing them out from under Skye.

He laid back down, and tugged the covers over them. He moved until he was on his side behind her, slinging an arm around her waist, bringing her back from the edge a few inches and into him.

Her cut palm laid next to her on the space he'd created, facing up, the bandage long lost during their frenetic activities. As was his, from his right hand. Her's had reopened, though, oozing fresh but minimal blood. His left palm was still bleeding, wasn't sure if it had ever stopped.

He supposed he could've healed both of their cuts now - it would only require a simple healing spell, one Latinate whisper from his lips.

He set his hand on top of her's, fused their bleeding palms together, interlaced their fingers.

But as Kai buried his nose in her hair and his groin against her ass, he found himself wide awake. Unable to keep his eyes closed for more than a few seconds, igniting his ire, coating all in his thoughts with a reddish tint.

Above all, he kept thinking about his reaction to Skye's slap - the urge sprung from a desire to make her see how wrong she was about him, almost as if it was the only way he could try to make up for all of his own indiscretions.

* * *

_A/N: So I really tried to get this out a week early, before Christmas, but it just didn't end up happening - partly because I'm extremely nervous about this chapter and I didn't want to rush it. I tried new things - things I've never attempted to write before - and I hope they pay off for you guys. _

_Next chapter, we'll see the full effect of the Merge on Kai - sorry I didn't show much here. I just didn't want him to have some huge emotional breakdown, like I've seen other fics portray the night of. There's nothing wrong with that portrayal, but, for mine, I want the effect to be subtler and more gradual. I think it would take more time for him to figure out that something weird's happening. Don't worry, he'll still have a breakdown, of sorts, it will just come later. That being said, it will still occur over the course of one chapter -next chapter- plus I'll still be following the events of 6x13 - hope that all makes sense. _

_Also, to give you all a break, the next few chapters will be fluffy (as fluffy as these two can get) before the proverbial shit hits the fan. Hope you all are looking forward to that. _

_Thanks for all the adds and the reviews. I hope everyone is doing well after this holiday season, and wasn't too stressed over family, work, or school._

_sarahmichellegellarfan1: Thanks!_

_WickedlyMinx: Stay tuned if you will!_

_NiNa5 : Thank you! Hope you like it!_

_Livhardy: Thank you! Hope you like it!_

_Pluv143000: Thank you! Got another long one for ya! No, Kai will not get turned in this story. Hope you enjoyed that little bit of Kai's POV at the end - I added it just for you, thanks for suggesting it! You'll get to see more next chapter. Hope you like the update!_

_sbritt264: Thanks! Hope you like it!_

_Guest 1: Wow, thanks!_

_Guest 2: Just the word, "Review."? You're gonna have to explain a little more next time, lol. _

_Nirvana14: Thank you! Yeah, "definitely something Kai would do," was what I was thinking as I wrote it, lol. _

_bbymojo: Thank you! Hope you like this one!_

_PuppetPrince: Thank you!_

_Sweet Summer Sunset: Thank you! I honestly haven't thought of any locations past London, but I will take your suggestions. Sorry, her and Jo kinda have a falling out - but I hope it makes sense in the context. Also, her interaction with Elena - I just figured Elena would be at worst hostile to her and at best dismissive of her. Hope you enjoyed, anyway._

_XxMikealsonForeverxX: Thank you!_

_YoCupcake: Thank so much! Sorry to make you sick! That's not my intention, but I'm trying to be realistic. I hope the dream sequence at least offered a reprieve. I think you can see a few more signs of his feelings for her before the Merge this chapter, so I hope you enjoyed those! Also, finally tried my hand at writing smut - hope it wasn't cringe-worthy to everyone, lol. I have the reunion worked out in a way that won't make her appearance a problem. Can't wait to show you but it won't happen until like around the 18th episode. As for the vamp thing - stay tuned, please, it might not unfold in the way that you think. Also, I added the slap in there just for you - it actually helped me story-line-wise to include it. So thank you for that! Hope you liked it!_

_Panda: Thank you! Thanks for your concern over her family and Kai's actions - you raise a good point. Sorry the topic wasn't featured more heavily this chapter - it will be discussed more next chapter. You'll find that Kai might be more secretive about it than you would think. Hope you liked it, anyway! Thanks for wishing me luck on my finals - I did do well! I hope you did too, if you had them!_

_Khari: Thank you so much! I never planned on addressing the "compulsion" again, but I'll explain it , admittedly, I struggled a lot with that whole scene - I never could really decide if I wanted her to be compelled or not. I just left it ambiguous for that reason, but ultimately decided after reading it through a few times that she wasn't. So I added Kai's line about slipping her some, because it made more sense to me that he would think of it. _

_In the scene itself, notice that I never described their pupils dilating and Skye never repeated Damon's words, like they depict compulsion in the show. It's more her being consciously hit by the truth in Damon's words - because Kai left unchecked really is a problem, and she feels responsible for him - that's the only reason she considers doing what Damon says. She's only confused because Damon turned on her all of a sudden, in trying to compel her._

_Originally, she was just gonna break the compulsion but then I found problem with that. Because, on the show again, most humans are unable to do that (unless undergoing some kind of training, like Shane, if I recall correctly. And Skye would've had no reason or opportunity to do that). And I've always thought part of the charm of Skye's character is that she was completely human thrown into extraordinary circumstances so I didn't want to go that route after all. _

_But I can see what it got confusing, during the confrontation scene, when I used the phrase, "as if someone else was controlling her body" - that was meant to contribute to her inner conflict, if you will. The part of her that knows Kai is a problem that needs to be solved and was physically acting in that moment vs. the part of her that won out in the end and couldn't harm Kai. Thanks for the question, because I thought it had the potential to be confusing, myself. In other words, thanks for allowing me the opportunity to explain it, and I hope that all makes sense. : ) _

_Also, I'm sorry because I think her agency suffered a bit this chapter. And sorry I didn't diverge at that much from this episode - I won't deviate drastically until the 17th episode anyway. Hope you like it, despite this! _

_Beautifulwhisper: Thank you! Hope you liked it! I hope to reply to your message shortly after I upload this. _

_Guest 3: Thanks! I hope you enjoyed!_


	16. Chapter 16

Set before 6x13, "The Day I Tried to Live"

You are the hole in my head

You are the space in my bed

You are the silence in between

What I thought and what I said

You are the night time fear

You are the morning when it's clear

When it's over you're the start

You're my head, you're my heart

No light, no light in your bright blue eyes

I never knew daylight could be so violent

A revelation in the light of day

You can't choose what stays and what fades away

And I'd do anything to make you stay

No light, no light

No light

Tell me what you want me to say

You want a revelation,

You wanna get it right

But it's a conversation,

I just can't have tonight

You want a revelation, some kind of resolution

Tell me what you want me to say.

"No Light, No Light" - Florence + the Machine

**Warning - the flashback is rated M, for some sexual content. Sorry, but writing smut is addictive ; )**

Chapter 16 - Tell Me What You Want Me to Say

_May 10, 1994_

_Kai had piqued Skye's curiosity with the invitation, but she couldn't help but feel like she was walking into a trap, as she stepped into the deserted restaurant, smoothing down her dress, pulling it down as far as the sweetheart neckline would go without revealing too much of her breasts._

_The dress he had laid out for her on her bed this morning - a simple red sheath that barely hit mid thigh - accompanied only by a small Post-it note that read "Wear me" and a smiley face. _

_She had been alarmed instantly, since he had been MIA for at least a month and a half, and she hadn't even heard him enter the place. Well, the place was in a mansion in Upstate New York, so it made sense that he could've been so stealthy. Plus, she had been swimming laps in the house's indoor pool right before so she figured that was when he had presumedly slipped in. She was half-surprised he hadn't taken advantage of the golden opportunity she'd unwittingly offered him - the chance to play sea monster and drown her. _

_After discovering the dress, she had ran down the stairs to the front door. There, on the table in the foyer, sat another Yellow Post-it, where an address for the city, a time, and the succinct message, "Meet me," was scrawled in his handwriting._

_So here she was, promptly at 8, at the address of an upscale restaurant in Manhattan with glass fronts windows that afforded a view of Times Square._

_One table in the center of the room caught her attention - it was covered with an artful arrangement of lit candles, the only light source in the expansive room, really, save the low recessed lighting in the corners. It drew her like a beacon, and added to the ambiance of the scene - setting a romantic scene, almost, and Skye felt her belly tighten with nerves._

_As she drew closer, she noticed the places already been set too, with ornate dishware, a formal layout of silverware, and wine glasses filled generously with what appeared to be white wine. Another Post-It note was present, stuck to the glass's rim - "Drink me," it read._

_Skye didn't need to be told twice; she was quick to pick up the glass and take a large gulp, with the hope that it would help soothe her nerves._

_"Hi."_

_Skye jumped, causing the wine to slosh out of her cup. She turned quickly to face him, and finding him already too close, too intrusive of her space as usual, she took a step back. She bumped into the chair behind her in the process, and he smirked, his eyes shadowed. _

_Her mouth went dry as her eyes performed a full sweep of him. She tried to tell herself it was the wine - dry as it was and too bitter for her taste. But she suspected, and if she was being truly honest with herself, the wine was only partly responsible._

_He was wearing a suit - a dark gray one, with a white shirt underneath and a red tie. The rest of him looked just the same - a perk or curse of the Prison World, she couldn't decide - but the suit definitely made him looked older, more distinguished. A respectable, young business man. Except the wicked gleam in his eyes could only make one think he was actually a crooked one - who traded insider information and embezzled money or something equally devious. _

_That's when she decided completely draining her glass would be a good idea, so she did just that until Kai chortled and pulled it from grip, setting it back on the table. He admonished, "Whoa, babe. Pace yourself. We still have the rest of the night to get through." _

Kinda what I'm afraid of_, she thought, as a feeling of foreboding descended on her . Aloud, she demanded, "What exactly is all this?" She gestured with her hand towards him then to the table behind her. _

_"Um, it's a table," he said slowly. _

_She sighed, frustrated. "Really?" _

_He grinned. Then, suddenly, he grabbed her shoulders, turned her around, and directed her to the chair. He pulled it out and she sat, unresistant. Why? Because her curiosity was starting to outweigh her fear, and wasn't that always the case where it concerned Kai?_

_"It's a table," he told her again. "About to be filled with delectable food that I've spent all day preparing. So no complaints, okay, babe?" He whispered the last part in her ear, his voice gravelly, before he pulled away._

_Goosebumps erupted across her shoulders and down her arms, but she replied, "Whatever."_

_She only felt his presence for a moment longer, lingering, until he disappeared, then returned shortly after with a salad. He presented it to her with a flourish._

_It was a Caesar, comprised of creamy dressing, crisp greens, crunchy croutons, and rich Parmesan cheese. He had actually tossed it, making all the textures and ingredients coalesce into a coherent, delicious dish, but Skye soon found she couldn't concentrate on the taste of it much, when Kai was across the table from her, watching her eat, without touching any of his own food like a creep. _

_She shot him a distrustful look as she stopped eating. "Can we just cut the bullshit, Kai?"_

_His eyes widened comically, and he leaned back in his chair, his wine glass in hand. "We're not cutting anything tonight. I hid the knives. Didn't want you getting any ideas..."_

_Her fork clankered down to her plate."Kai-"_

_"In fact, I specifically made dishes that don't require knives..."_

_"Kai-"_

_"Besides, I do not know of the bullshit to which you refer..." _

_"_Malachai_," she snapped._

_He smirked again, and she squeezed her hands into fists under the table, her nails digging viciously into her palms. _

_He was enough to make her want to shatter her wine glass, and then use the stem to either stab herself or him in the neck. _

_He was unfazed. "So do you like the dress?"_

_She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself._

_"I would've gotten you flowers to go with the invite, but then I remembered that you don't like them." _

_"I do like them, actually," she corrected truthfully. And not out of spite. She just didn't like receiving them, because they would inevitably die. It had always seemed like a waste of life to her. But she didn't share her reasoning, knowing Kai wouldn't understand it._

_His brows drew together, his expression one of doubt. _

_"But none of this has to do with what I like. You're trying to butter me up for something you want, and I just want to know what it is already so I can say, 'No,' and leave," she stated bluntly. He was so transparent, or at least he was to her now she knew the truth about him. But he obviously thought she was dense or something. _

_The grin that broke out across his face after her statement was much wider, more genuine, than the one before, but certainly not warm; it was laced with more of a grim amusement. The grin fell away as he sobered unexpectedly. "If you were really just gonna say no, you wouldn't have even bothered showing up," he countered smugly._

_She sat, unresponsive, for a long moment, staring at him. He studied her back, his eyebrows raising at one point, mocking her. _

_She had no idea what he could possibly want. Maybe he was tricking her, trapping her. But he had never been this elaborate with any of his ruses. Beside, it's not like she could exactly accuse him of wasting her time. _

_"Well, I'm guessing it's good," she finally said. "Otherwise, you wouldn't have gone through all this trouble."_

_He shrugged. _

_"Are you gonna tell me?"_

_"After dinner," he answered brusquely, after a long moment where he gazed impassively back at her. He got up then and retrieved the entree. Lemon chicken piccata - the sauce just as creamy and rich as the Caesar dressing. The chicken well-seasoned and juicy, and the pasta cooked perfectly - it was moments like these when she thanked God that Kai still possessed major, insurmountable flaws._

_He had made this dish for her only once before when they had been together - the night they had finally consummated their once then fledgling relationship. The thought of it was making her stomach churn in protest. _

_He was watching her eat again, picking at the chicken, pausing in his own actions. "Delicious, right?"_

_She took another drink of her wine before she answered, "Too lemony."_

_"Liar," he sing-songed._

_"Chicken's dry, too," she claimed, undeterred. _

_"You haven't even tried it," he pointed out, incredulous. But he didn't seem angry, just amused. _

_"I can tell by the texture," she told him. _

_He only shook his head, letting out a sigh. But she caught him grinning wide behind the rim of his glass as he brought it to his lips. _

_After Skye shifted the food around on her plate for another few minutes, not tasting anymore, he finally took the hint and carried it away. He returned with dessert - tiramisu and a cup of coffee, already fixed the way she liked it. He set it front of her delicately._

_She inhaled sharply at the sight, finally fed up. "Mal, you have 10 seconds to tell me why I'm here and what you want, or I'm leaving right now."_

_He chuckled as he made his way back to his chair. "You won't. Sure, the nondisclosure is killing you now, but never finding out will kill you more later. So I'm gonna take my sweet time. Speaking of sweet, you should really try your dessert. I spent all day preparing it. Let me tell ya, those ladyfinger things are a bitch. They get all soggy and gross - I had remake this thing like 3 times... "_

_She growled out in exasperation. She snatched up her spoon and took a bite. And then almost wanted to moan aloud at the decadent, fresh taste that greeted her. She managed to stop herself last minute. "Happy?" she demanded._

_He smirked. "I'll be happier and more in the mood for sharing when you finish it." _

_Glaring at him, she took another bite. And it was a feat - keeping such a sour expression on her face while her mouth and brain were singing. But she kept it up until she was done, and he was smirking again in his triumph. She was half-tempted to launch the plate at this face, but refrained. _

_Then he cleared all the plates and silverware, like he suspected her train of thought, and was back soon after from the kitchen, carrying another bottle of wine. He topped her glass off - because why even try to be subtle about plying her with alcohol anymore? - before he sat again and brought his arms up on the table, clasping them together in front of him - a picture of complete ease and control, smiling serenely. _

_She yearned to find the nearest sharp object, as her patience left her all at once. _

_"Kai," she snapped finally, prompting him._

_He raised his hands, half-placating and half-chastising her. _

_He took several more moments before he spoke again, and she knew she was on the verge of absolutely losing her mind. "So I was watching _Blue Lagoon _the other day..."_

_"Oh, my God," she burst out._

_"_Anyway_," he said pointedly, before he continued casually, "it got me thinking ...we should have a kid."_

_It took a full minute for his words to settle over her. For her comprehension skills to even kick in. When they did, they deemed his declaration utterly absurd and she was compelled to tell him as much: "You're funny." She even added a laugh for effect, one that only sounded slightly hysterical._

_"I'm being serious, Skye," he said, his face uncharacteristically solemn. _

_"No, you're being insane," she rejoined. "More so than usual."_

_He responded with a withering look. Then he relaxed, adopting his imperious demeanor once more. "It actually makes the most sense, if you really think about it, babe. In this type of situation, at least - you know, the whole two last people on Earth dynamic. Only we'd understand what we're doing. And, obviously, we also not stuck on a stranded island. Like, we already have so many advantages they didn't." _

_"You do realize you're trying to make this ridiculous argument, using a very unrealistic film as a your only point of reference?" _

_"Not ridiculous," he argued. "You just haven't let me list all the advantages."_

_"There are no advantages, Kai. Because it's impossible, unrealistic - just like the movie."_

_"Who said it's impossible? What makes it impossible? You still get your period, don't you?"_

_She cringed, now beginning to regret ever sharing that particular detail with him. Gritting her teeth, she replied, "If it were possible, wouldn't it have happened before now?" Last she recalled, they had been stuck in the Prison World for nine years. Nine years was plenty of time to create new life and yet it had never occurred - not once could she remember even having a scare._

_"We haven't exactly tried," he said._

_"We haven't exactly tried to prevent it either." _

_"Well, we won't know for sure until we try regularly right?" he grinned cheekily. _

_"I'm not _trying _anything," she declared emphatically. _

_"Aww, come on, babe." The grin faded as he turned contemplative for a moment, and he stared at her. She turned her head away, unable to take the intensity of it, his dark eyes focused solely on her. She gazed out the windows, the area outside lit up with city lights and glowing, neon signs but the streets and sidewalks eerily empty. "You know, I might be tempted to sweeten the deal for you," he proposed finally. _

_She turned back begrudgingly. "What?"_

_"I may or may not be able to fly a plane now," he hedged. "I also may or may not be willing to take an extended vacation to a new, exotic locale."_

_She didn't react. Internally, she was rolling her eyes at his dramatics, doubting his claims. _

_"I figured we could start in Europe," he resumed. "Then all the rest - Africa and Asia. Swing down to Australia for a bit, then hit up South America. We could try Antarctica, too, if you want, but it might be kinda difficult to keep the baby warm there. Unless we brush up on how to build an igloo -"_

_"_Kai_," she interrupted, "Quit talking about the hypothetical baby we don't have. And will never have. And all the other _insane _things we'll never do _because. they're. impossible_." _

_He narrowed his eyes at her, assessing. Skye squared her jaw and stared him down right back, daring him to attempt his next ploy. Showing him how unwilling she was to fall for it. _

_"You know, we're neglecting to discuss the biggest elephant in the room," she said then, and after another moment or so of deep thought, amended, "Well, the two biggest elephants in the room."_

_He only cocked a brow, inquiring. _

_She didn't want to hold back anymore. "I can't even trust you to give me a haircut, so what makes you think I would agree to have a child with you?"_

_He heaved a sigh. "You _won't _trust me to give you a haircut, there's a difference." Then, looking down, he adjusted his glass absentmindedly and added off-handedly, "Like I would do it when you're expecting it anyway. That's too easy - where's the fun?" _

_Which only ignited more anger in Skye, so much gut-wrenching rage that she was speechless, glancing around the darkened restaurant desperately. Searching, in vain it seemed, for some type of escape. Her desire for it only increased when he spoke again,"Besides, I think it could be argued that I have more baby experience than you. 6 to 1, I would say." _

_She flinched, but he pushed on, "I've dealt with whiny babies, happy babies, colicky babies - you know, it's a wonder I didn't snap back then," he mused, breaking off._

_"Which is my point, Kai," she said, unsteadily. " What if you tried to hurt it? What am I supposed-"_

_"I would never hurt a kid," he cut in, over her - loudly, quickly, thoughtlessly - too blasé__**. **_

_The sound she emitted in the wake of this statement was between squeak and a hollow laugh- part disbelief, part despair, mostly outrage. "Seriously?" she breathed out, her voice barely a whisper now as she fought to contain all the emotions threatening to overwhelm her._

_At least he had the grace to look sheepish. He closed his eyes briefly and took in a deep breath. "Let me rephrase - I would never harm my own kid." Then his face mulish, he snarled, "I'm not interested in being my dad."_

_"Your siblings were still your fucking flesh and blood, and you didn't even bat an eye," she spat._

_Clenching his jaw, he glared at her. His hands clutched the edges of the table, and Skye imagined his knuckles were probably white with exertion._

_The atmosphere was tense between them now, charged by the threat of violence. Any moment, she expected him to bound up, lunge across the table, and throttle her. And she wouldn't be prepared for it this time, having been left destabilized by the curve balls he'd thrown at her all night._

_But she shook those thoughts from her head - because thinking them would only surely bring them into fruition - and focused on a dark corner of the room. She breathed in shakily, pressing a hand to her chest like it alone would calm her raging heartbeat. _

_She needed to address the second elephant. _

_"Why do you even want one?" she demanded, reluctantly, her eyes falling back to his, unbidden. "There has to be a reason. Going through all this trouble to persuade me. Or seduce me, whatever. And, no, I'm not gonna believe you a had sudden, latent onset of paternal instincts." _

_She was shocked, after everything that just transpired, to be met with another grin at her question. But, this time, it was rueful and departed from his face too quickly to give her any reassurance. _

_He stood from his chair and she went rigid in hers, instantly wary. He rounded the table, slowly, stalking closer to her. She kept her eyes on him all the while. He paused in his predatory pursuit when he was just a foot from her. "You know, I kinda miss the days when I could fool you," he said earnestly, leaning his body against the table's edge, angled in her direction. He crossed his arms and tilted his head, surveying her. "But I'm gonna tell you the truth because I think it might also be in your interest to consider it before you decide." _

_He glanced away then, into the shadows. "So as I've tirelessly explained to you time and time again, when you pathetically beg me for a way out, it's gonna take magic to get us out of here…" He swung his head back around to her, expectant now. But she only gazed back at him, flummoxed. Disappointment now colored his expression. "In short, I happen to come from a magical family, and magic is hereditary, thus, I want to have a child. Now, as you know from even the most basic, public school sexual education, that sorta takes two. You're my only option, but, don't worry, you're also my favorite option." he said, the last part coming with a lascivious wink. _

_She shook her head, stubbornly refusing to be flattered or make sense of his motivations. "But, as you've so tirelessly explained to me, you don't have any magic."_

_He shrugged, unconcerned. "I still carry the gene. Or at least, I should. Think of it as a science experiment, babe. An exciting one where we could produce a living, breathing child capable of setting things on fire with his mind. I think it's awesome."_

_And it was mind-boggling for Skye how a concept like magic could be dependent on something based in science. "But this child would also get 50% of my DNA, and wouldn't that hurt its chances of being magical even more since, you know, I'm not a witch?"_

_"Neither was my mother, and she produced seven very healthy, very magical children," he told her, his tone now holding a bitter undercurrent. _

_She processed it slowly. "So you want to try for a baby on the off chance that it might have magic? Even when you don't and never have? And then use his or her magic - that, again, they may or may not have - to escape? Sounds like a sure fire plan, Kai."_

_He looked grim now. "It's been ten years, Skye. I think it's safe to say I'm desperate." _

_After ten years, Skye felt desperate too, and she allowed herself to indulge for a moment - in the thought of what he was suggesting. She imagined a newborn baby, with a head full of dark hair and deep blue eyes. A baby who would grow into a little boy with lighter, mischievous eyes and a toothy, impish grin. A miniature version of Kai, but a version she could actually love and enjoy, who could be a constant in her monotonous life... then another image assaulted her - the same little boy standing over her with a knife in his hand while she slept. _

_She clenched her eyes shut, banishing the image from her mind, and questioned, "How do we know it would even grow?"_

_Kai unfolded his arms and reached down to pick at her leftover tiramisu with his fingers, maintaining a cool composure. "Well, how do we know it won't?"_

_"Well, we don't age..." she reminded. "My body would have to change to support a pregnancy."_

_"_Look_, I know all of this already, Skye," he said shortly, bringing his cream-covered fingers to up to his mouth to lick clean."I'm not saying it's gonna work out, but, obviously, we also won't know that until we try."_

_She was silent, ruminating._

_"Let's just give it a year or two," he persuaded. "We go abroad, we have amazing sex on a regular basis. What's the downside?"_

_The downside would come, she was sure, when he grew bored of her. When he'd get angry at the lack of results and take it out on her. She could totally see him leaving her stranded in a foreign country. A brand new continent to chase her across._

_Wildly, she thought_, what if I did get pregnant? _Could she actually trust him to not hurt her? To not hurt the child, despite what he'd said earlier?_

_But, bottom line, she wanted out of this hell just as much, if not more, than Kai did. And this way would entail her being alive for it, even it did include her being responsible for another life, even if it was a long shot. _

_She made her decision. "If I actually agree to this, there have to be conditions, Kai."_

_She heard him exhale roughly. "Of course," he muttered._

_"I'm serious, Mal." _

_Something flashed in his eyes, but it was gone before she could discern it. He waved his hand dismissively, wordlessly telling her to get on with her spiel._

_"You can't harm me," she said fiercely. "The moment you do, I'm gone. And you can forget about trying to talk me back into it."_

_He nodded soberly. _

_She continued sternly, "If we do manage to conceive, the same goes for it. If you do something to it, I swear to God, Kai...I'll find a way every day to make you suffer for it."_

_He stared at her, his face expressionless, but his eyes held a condescending sheen, one that made her bristle. But then a smile spread across his face. Excitement lit his eyes, and he pushed off the table. "So Operation Blue Lagoon is a-go?"_

_She rolled her eyes."I'm gonna regret this."_

_He frowned. "That's not the spirit, babe. You need to think positive, pro-baby thoughts."_

_He came up behind her and pulled her chair out. She stood, self-consciously pulling down the hem of her dress. _

_She turned to him, noticing that the action had only caused his eyes to stray down to her bare legs."So when do we start?" she asked, in an effort to focus him on the task on hand._

_He looked back up, smirking. "Now's good. LaGuardia's not too far from here." He side-stepped her, brushing his arm against hers._

_"So I'm supposed to believe you can just fly a Boeing right across the Atlantic?" she demanded of his back, as he walked away from her._

_"You can come and find out..." he threw over his shoulder as he headed for the door._

_She grabbed her glass and the mostly full wine bottle, following him out._

* * *

_Skye sat in the cabin of the plane, buckled in, clutching the wine bottle._

_She had accidentally dropped the wine glass after she had finished it. It had landed on the asphalt of the runway, and she'd winced as it shattered, hoping that it wouldn't become an omen for her rash decision. Kai had shot her an approving look, thinking she had purposely thrown it down, always in favor of mindless destruction._

_Presently, she took a swig and glanced out of the window of the airplane. It was pitch black outside, the night still reigning. They had just taken off, leaving the illumination of the runway and the lights of New York City behind. She would never admit it to him, but it had been a smooth take off. She still couldn't wrap her head around the thought that _Kai _was the pilot she was entrusting with her safety at the moment._

_She also couldn't wrap her head around what she was agreeing to with the trip. While she had easily imagined a baby, she couldn't imagine herself pregnant. The only pregnant person she'd had ever witnessed was her sister, and she hadn't exactly been that close to her then, her sister's friends getting the privilege of being by Anya's side as she had prepared to bring a child into the world. Skye didn't even think she had ever even gotten the opportunity to feel her nephew kicking while he was in the womb. _

_Kai's voice came over the intercom, "Skye, this is your captain speaking." He fell into a fit of guffaws. "Man, I've always wanted to say that. Anywoo, you may now unbuckle your seatbelt and enter the cockpit. Grab me a some peanuts on the way."_

_She released her seatbelt and stood. She drained the rest of the bottle of wine as she walked to the front of the cabin, past the bathrooms and the stewardess's station, which she chose not to search for snacks. Pushing past the dark, heavy curtain, she entered the part of the plane Kai abided, sitting in one of the pilot's chair, his hands on the yolk, looking professional - she figured it was the suit, though he had abandoned the jacket somewhere in the plane - as he expertly commanded the compact space. The small overhead lights were dim, but the radars and displays were readable._

_The sky __stretched__ before them through th__e windscreen__, a vast, __impenetrable__ darkness. Skye hoped it wasn't another omen. _

"_So this what you do with your time away from me?" she quizzed. "Fly?"_

"_Just the last year," he replied. _

"_Just the last year?" she repeated squeakily, her nerves and doubts rise back to the surface. _

"_Don't worry, I've logged over 250 hours," he reassured. "I've only crash-landed 3 times, and those times were only because something went wrong with plane. Though let me tell you, picking your way of plane wreckage: not fun."_

"_That's_ _not comforting," she told him and tried hard not to visualize what he described. _

_"Anyway, __s__o where to first?" he asked, glancing at her over his shoulder. "I've got to set the course."_

_"Surprise me," she said, leaning against the wall next to the door __and__ the effects of the wine hit her all at once, causing her to feel dizzy and overheated. _

_"Now I know you're drunk," Kai remarked, turning back to concentrate on __the __yolk._

_She wasn't drunk enough, that much she knew. "How high up are we?" she asked, examining one of the read-outs. It was nonsense to her, but she hoped Kai knew what it meant._

"_10,000 feet. Also, in case you're interested, we're travelling at 0.7 __Mach __speed. That's roughly __6__00 miles per hour."_

Holy shit_, Skye thought. It was another impossible concept she couldn't wrap her __partially __altered mind around._

_"It's our cruising altitude. __But I__ turn__ed __autopilot on __5,000 fe__et ago__." He pulled both his hands off the yolk, raising them in the air. "Look, no hands."_

_He snickered at his joke as she rolled her eyes. She pushed off the wall and came up behind the co-pilot's chair. She started examining the control panel and console closely, noting the throttle in the center. Kai watched her __perusal__, slowly becoming __suspicious__. _

_"Don't come in here and start pressing buttons and turning knobs and then ask what they do," he warned._

_"I'm not doing anything," she defended. _

_Kai scoffed, "I know that look, Skye. It's the look you always give me when you think I'm not paying attention to you."_

_She glanced up sharply at his words. He smirked smugly in reply. She huffed and backed again from the machinery, turning back towards the curtain._

_"Wait," Kai called. "I'll stop if you come back and be my co-pilot."_

_She halted and considered his offer. Honestly, she would feel better about the whole situation if she could keep an eye on him - make sure he wasn't __sabotaging__ the flight. _

_She pivoted back in the direction of the co-pilot's chair._

_"Nope, not there," Kai told her._

_Skye threw him a __perplexed__ look and he only patted his lap in answer, smirk just as prominent as before._

_"No," she said flatly, __fully aware she was risking his ire__._

_"What?" he said back innocently. "Ever heard of the mile high club, babe? It's a little inaccurate, but it's not too late to join. I mean we might as well get a head start. After all, we are in the _cock_pit."_

_She groaned at the innuendo."That was terrible. You could've gone for the less obvious pun in that sentence, but no you were lazy. As usual." _

_His brow quirked. "What?"_

_"Head," she hinted._

_He grinned, impressed. "Didn't think about that one." _

_Slowly, the grin __disappeared as he bit his bottom lip, his eyes turning dark as they dropped down, scanning her body__. He cupped his hand, w__iggling in his fingers in a 'come hither' gesture._

_Reluctantly, she moved forward and stepped in the small space between the console and the edge of the pilot's chair. _

_His hands went to her waist, burning her through the fabric of her dress. She swallowed as he began guiding her into the __position__ he wanted her, pulling her down and across him. She ended up __straddling__ his waist, her __dress__ hem hiked up on her thighs. She was grateful his hips were so narrow and the pilot's seat didn't have armrests. Otherwise, it would be a tad more uncomfortable than it was now, with her right knee digging into the wall and her muscles tense._

_Kai gazed up at her intently, his hands trailing down to graze her thighs. The action sent shivers down her spine and an involuntary gasp left her mouth. _

_He leaned up then suddenly, his mouth __capturing __hers unexpectedly in an__ searing, feral __kiss as his hands squeezed her thighs. She responded __immediately__ however, relishing the feel of his full lips against her thin ones as she angled her head, her hands grabbing his collar. _

_He coaxed her mouth open and she relaxed, sagging into his lap, pressing herself closer against him. Their tongues tangled, the kiss growing even more hungry. All the while, his hand continued their trek up her thighs, slipping underneath the dress, smoothing his hands even farther up until his fingertips touched her hips. She shuddered again, still too __sensitive__ to his touch, even after all this time. That familiar coiling in her belly, the heat pulsing between her legs._

_He chuckled and leaned back momentarily. "And somebody's not wearing any underwear..._naughty_."_

_She flushed, ducking down to rest her head against his shoulder. He kept his hands still, staying at her hips, and she figured it was a sweet kind of torture he'd perfected over the years. To keep her on the edge of anticipation, knowing it__'s effect on her__. _

_His breath fanned her cheek, his words close to her ear, "Just think of all the places we can bang now without getting arrested for public indecency..." _

_She reached for the knot of his tie. She began loosening it as he started listing casually, "The __Parthenon__." _

_Her fingers fumbled with his shirt buttons next. Soon, she was revealing his bare chest and her hands were starved, itching to feel as much of it as she could. _

_"The Colosseum."_

_She gently stroked one finger a__long__ his breastbone. __She followed it up with a firm rake of her nails down his abdomen, but he didn't react, kept speaking evenly: __"__T__he top of the Eiffel Tower." _

_She grasped the tie and leaned up to brush a kiss on his jaw, frustrated. __Then dragged her teeth across its edge, hoping it would get to him._

_"The Great Wall__.__" _

_Nothing had changed about his voice, but s__he squirmed as his hands finally moved from their spot, travelling down__, tracing her pelvic bone__._

_"And then when little Junior asks where he was conceived, we can tell him all about how we did it in the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles."_

_"Oh my God, I would pay you to shut up right now," she forced out, the statement too breathy however to sound too threatening__ as she felt his fingers nearer to the spot she wanted them__._

_"But money means nothing to me here," he pointed out__._

_She bit down hard on his __collarbone__ in __retaliation__. He hissed__ then laughed throatily. That was when he chose to __ease one finger inside h__er__ and she moaned, her hips jerking__. _

"_I have a few conditions of my own, babe." He didn't move his hand and she tried to move, but his other hand went back up and gripped her hip, holding her in place._

_She let out a choked sound. She really couldn't concentrate on his words right then if she tried. She needed friction; she needed _something _or she wasn't going to survive the plane ride. _

_He finally started pumping his finger in and out, and she was relieved, bowing her body over him, hands going up to grasp the headrest of the pilot's chair._

"_You can't harm me either," he said._

_She didn't hear him. _

_He growled and stopped. "_Skye_."_

_She whimpered achingly, not even caring she'd released such a plaintive sound. "What?"_

_He stared into her eyes, brash. "You can't hurt me either or Operation Blue Lagoon's off."_

"_Fine," she said easily._

"_Skye, I'm serious," he said, but his bold grin belied his earnest._

"_Fine," she said with more emphasize, leaning down to face him straight on._

"_Good girl," he taunted and added a second finger, stretching her further, and she couldn't muster an objection to him patronizing her. _

_Her eyes fluttered close and he caught her lips again. _

_A__nd she hated how composed h__e__ could be while he was making her come undone, which __happened in__ short__ order__. She nearly screamed __a__lou__d and he finally let out a strangled breath himself._

_When s__he reached for his belt buckle, __however, __his hand was there, stopping her. "We have plenty of time to get to that, babe. Let me land the plane first," he __muttered._

_She panted, trying to make sense of his refusal. The heat still raged in his eyes, still just as dark as before. The bu__lge in h__is pants __still present. But then s__he realized this was her reward for agreeing to his co__ndition, for agreeing to the arrangement__. _

_Day was breaking on the horizon when they finally reached their destination, the blues and purples of sky blending with the new and __old __structures__ of Paris in the distance__._

* * *

_Shame_.

It was a peculiar emotion - strange how it only seemed to hit you, hard and unforgiving, afterward, _after _you've committed the crime.

It was the emotion Skye instantly felt as she awoke, alone and sore, the next morning and her eyes swept the room, surveying her surroundings. The motel bed's sheets were speckled with patches of blood, and she shuddered to think what the cleaning staff would think.

The rest of the room - the simple, wooden table and chairs under the window by the door, the flat screen television mounted on the wall opposite the bed, the bathroom alcove to her left - looked untouched, however.

As she stood up, she saw black marks along the edge of the headboard, in long and narrow finger-like the shapes. _Scorch marks_? she wondered, with raised eyebrows, floored. She didn't even want to contemplate the implications of that.

Shaking her head, she walked to the bathroom.

Once in the shower, with the water running blisteringly hot, she scrubbed at the rough spots of blood on all the parts of her body he had touched. Almost everywhere, it seemed, the blood from both their cuts long forgotten about in the moment, disregarded in their desire.

It was disgusting and it was gross and she needed to be cleansed of it. But even now, just thinking about it had her wet again, and not just from the shower water. She scrubbed that away too while willing away the memories of the previous night.

When she was done, she wrapped a towel around her body then used a smaller one for her hair. Then she sighed, staring at the rug, because she realized belatedly that she only had dirty clothes to put back on.

She had just walked back into the main room when the door opened, and Kai came in, carrying shopping bags. He glanced in her direction but she averted her gaze to the floor. He set the bags on the table, and she was afforded a glimpse of the blue backpack on his back.

She started; she hadn't expected to see the backpack ever again.

He shucked it and laid it down too, besides the bags. She sensed him sending another look in her way as he turned around, but she didn't meet it. He left again, and she darted towards the backpack.

She unzipped it, finding several CDs sitting on top of a collection of bound bills. Some bundles' seals were broken. She grew angry, at the thought that he'd been taking advantage of the money _she'd _had the foresight to bring. At least she could be grateful he bothered paying for some services and items instead of taking the same route he had with the taxi driver. A large, heavy book was also shoved into the bag - or, as she was inclined to more accurately classify, a tome, its appearance old and worn. She took it out and studied its plain cover, recognizing its resemblance to Bonnie's spellbook … Grimoire... from the Prison World. But it wasn't the same book, she realized, running her finger across the unfamiliar symbol on the front.

When the doorknob jiggled again, she hurriedly stuffed it back in the bag and zipped it shut. She was digging in the shopping bags when the door swung open. In her periphery, she saw as he brought over more shopping bag - these looking new - and set them down beside the first.

Then she felt his hand on his skin, fingertips brushing against her bare shoulder, but she jerked away and headed to the bathroom, clothes in hand.

When she emerged from the bathroom again, dressed in a new pair of skinny jeans and one of his T-shirts, it was to find Kai's long body sprawled out across the bed, reclining leisurely against the headboard, his face indifferent as he bit into a bagel, his eyes glued to the TV.

Warily, she approached the bed. She noticed the sheets and duvet now looked clean, free of bloody spots.

Kai focused on her then, tipping his head casually to the bedside table. "I got you coffee and a bagel. You would never believe all the gazillion options they have now for coffee. I ordered you something called a 'Mocha.' And the bagels too - _sooo_ many combinations. I would love to meet the idiot who puts onion and chives cream cheese on a chocolate chip bagel. It's all so unnecessary..."

He droned on, but she tuned him out. She eyed the cup and the pastry bag as she sat down on the edge of the bed, her back to Kai. Then she laid down, keeping to the edge, her head landing on her pillow, feeling her exhaustion, both physical and emotional, pulling at the edges of her mind, making her eyelids heavy.

She closed them. She needed a break, plain and simple, the thought of her victory from last night far away from her at the moment, as was her impassioned want to fight.

She could take a day, she decided - from the emotional turmoil and the extraordinary circumstances she faced on a daily basis now. Maybe Kai would be merciful and kill her in her sleep. He would stain the sheets with blood again, but he would have to deal with it, not her.

She was just about asleep when she felt his hand on her shoulder again. _Would he pick now, after all? _She froze, but didn't even have time to protest as he used his grip to drag her by the arm across the mattress, closer to him. She didn't put up a fight as he folded her top half back against his chest horizontally, his arm wrapping loosely around her neck, his hand grasping her right shoulder.

He could easily choke her out from his this position, tighten his hold and put her in a headlock.

He adjusted, sitting up a little straighter so that she could lay across him more comfortably. She stayed rigid, however, keeping her head up, unwilling to let it rest.

"_Relax_," he whispered into her ear. As if on command, her body became boneless. She felt his hand move into her hair, and she allowed her head to lower onto his chest, turning her head so it her ear pressed up against his heartbeat. A familiar sound she had used time and time again, before May 10, 1994, to lull her into unconsciousness when she'd had trouble sleeping.

His hand, the one splayed on her chest, felt like a brand, as hot as it was. The hand in her hair stroked and pulled gently, making her skin buzz.

She was fighting a losing battle anyway, she realized, as his hand drifted down to her cheek, his finger skimming underneath her eye.

"Did you know your eyelashes are blonde?" he asked her, his voice sounding far away. "I thought everyone's eyelashes were supposed to be black."

She hummed, uncomprehending. She even didn't hear his next words, low and melancholic.

"Me too, babe… I don't know either."

* * *

_Distraction_.

It was the strategy Kai was adopting to evade that foreign _something _itching at the back of his head, the pain - was it heartburn?- lodged in his thorax, that he speculate about but really couldn't put a name to it.

It had started the day after the Merge; it worsened when Skye began acting distant, and he wondered if he imagined them having sex. But the evidence was still there - the scratches on his back, his sore tail bone where she'd dug in her heels, trying to pull him deeper.

He hadn't left any marks on her, as far as he could recall. Then he looked her over as she slept on his chest and realized he shouldn't have made such a big assumption. There was another hickey on the other side of her neck. Her - or his? - other marks remained, too. The new and old bruises on her wrist - a mish-mash of faded yellows and deep purples - the cut on her forehead, albeit half-healed, ... the brand on her palm.

He wondered when marking her became such a habit that he didn't even remember exactly when he'd done most of it.

* * *

In the couple of weeks that followed, Kai spent his time watching television, figuring it was his best way to soak up all the new information he could, as quickly as he could - the pop culture, slang, and technology of this century - while Skye slept... and slept ...and then slept some more, performing a really spot-on impression of a koala bear in his opinion.

It was an impression that only had him _slightly _worried, only because it seemed so unnatural - especially for someone who expended so little energy when she was awake. And that was usually only during the morning, when he pumped her with coffee and pastries in the hopes that it would stimulate her enough to keep her awake for the whole day (to no avail). And during the evening when she would stir to only pick at whatever he'd retrieved for dinner.

No, her eating habits had him more _slightly _concerned, because, clinically, he had noticed that she had lost weight, her frame the gauntest he'd ever seen it. He had brushed the topic with her, offhand, and she'd only shrugged, uncaring. Which was not very Skye-like, he thought. Her not caring.

She hardly ever left the bed, except to use the bathroom or shower.

Perhaps, it bothered him so much because it was the polar opposite of his recent behavior. He couldn't sleep much, feeling insomniatic for the first time in his life. His manic energy left him pacing, when she was asleep. It eventually led to nighttime exercises, where he pushed up, sat up, and lunged himself into utter physical exhaustion, in the hopes of finally getting some sleep in the early hours of the morning.

Overall, however, he was not too perturbed about their break from reality.

This was what they needed, he told himself, after being in such a stasis for so nearly two decades, and then rushing out and running around, fighting to fulfill his birthright once and for all. A break - time to figure out his - their?- next steps, time to acclimate to a world once again filled with too many people and too much noise.

Time to take stock of what was important to him now. Well obviously, his revenge still needed to be carried out. But he'd tried and failed to come up with a concrete plan for it. Something unknown but strong was holding him back.

_He was waiting_, he figured out finally, after he had brutally berated himself one night, fisting his hair in frustration. He looked over to the bed where she laid, curled up in a ball, her arm stretched across the mattress, reaching out for something even in her sleep. He wanted to bridge the gap, grab her hand with his and squeeze so tightly she'd stirred, just so she'd know he had completed the link. But she wasn't reaching out in his direction.

He was waiting for Skye to ask where her family was...waiting on her to leave his side, like she wanted.

* * *

After two weeks, Skye was certain of four truths:

1\. She couldn't sleep unless Kai was close by. She didn't, of course, count all the rest she had gotten by way of forced unconsciousness. She was thinking of the two nights she spent beside him at Tyler's mansion, getting sound sleep for the first time since they left the prison world. The one she spent at Jo's, she had been wide awake, too alert due to the near-constant buzzing of her phone and her nerves. She was so exhausted these last two weeks because she hadn't gotten any _real, _organic rest really for however long they'd been out. And that was why, she told herself, why she was able to sleep for so long each day.

2\. Kai wouldn't kill her anytime soon apparently - he'd had ample opportunities, but, _no_,he insisted on shoving water and food down her throat everyday instead. And pester her about eating, like her appetite was the same as his. Maybe he was trying out an new M.O., some kind of reverse psychology, that would serve to drive her crazy instead and cause her to take herself out.

3\. She was afraid to ask him to honor their deal. Any time she gave it any thought, the doubts- the same doubts that had attacked her in the cave and caused her to take her hand off the Ascendant - would come back full force. Several deep-seated fears clawing at her insides: fear of what her family thought of her now, knowing how she was portrayed in Kai's act. There was also the fear of the unknown; she had no idea of what to expect from Kai now, now that he seemed content to languish in a motel room. She was also apart of a whole new world - one where she had no niche and no connections.

She had wanted to escape so badly, she never gave much thought to what she'd do once she was out (besides find her family). Her life outside of the Prison World was proving just as aimless and toxic as her one inside of it. And part of her didn't even really care to rectify it.

4\. Something was wrong with Kai. Her biggest clue should've been the fact that he zoned out everyday like a couch potato watching TV, but it wasn't. Neither was the interesting positions she would find him in when she woke up, splayed out awkwardly on some part of her - his head on her chest or his head on her thighs or his head on her stomach, but always with his arms wrapped tightly around her hips, sleeping fitfully, his face drawn.

Or how she woke up each morning of the past week and looked in the mirror, only to systematically discover another one of her bruises or cuts completely healed way too soon. Save for the brand on her palm. Each time, she'd look back to where he lay, asleep, his his face still clouded, rolled over on her side since she vacated the bed, and she'd frown, wondering if it was just a new part of his reverse psychology routine.

No, it's when his birthday passed without his acknowledgement that she's worried. It shouldn't been a bigger deal, right? Especially this one? Didn't this mean he'd finally reached the age of 23, at least physically? That was a big accomplishment for sure, considering his family and his past. And nothing.

Also, weren't there any urgent matters he had to attend to as a coven leader? Even beyond his "revenge." Duties? Why weren't they on their way to Portland?

The thought of his urgent matters had her thinking back to her once urgency - the need she'd had to find her family. The hollowness in her chest would tauten despairingly in response.

* * *

A few days after Kai's birthday, Skye awoke with a fierce thirst, her mouth feeling like it was stuffed with cotton.

Sitting up, she realized the room was empty, Kai nowhere to be found. Probably off somewhere getting her a latte or buying clothes or causing mayhem.

He'd been the only one of them to venture out from the room in the last two weeks. And Skye had not had a problem with it, not finding anything about the modern day too appealing. Not when sleep was more enticing.

But if Skye was going to satiate her thirst, today would the day she'd have to go out and find a vending machine.

Huffing, she marched to the backpack and rummaged through it, looking for spare change. She only found the bundle of bills - she picked a wad which seal had already been broken and snagged a twenty.

But she knew, even in this day and age, a twenty was too much for a vending machine. She needed to break it.

She stepped outside and squinted against the blaring sunshine assaulting her eyes. She started up the walkway to the Office and she spotted the manager through the window, a middle-aged woman with graying hair piled high on her head. Right next to the Office door was two vending machines - one for soda and one for snacks.

Sighing, Skye walked into the Office.

However, she soon learned the manager couldn't break her twenty, citing a shortage of cash as her reason. Disappointed and still dry-mouthed, she returned back to her and Kai's room.

As she neared it, she became alarmed, noting the door was ajar. She pushed through it cautiously, and she felt like she stumbling on a war zone.

The room was destroyed - the table overturned, the chair broken across the room. The television screen was shattered, towels and clothes were strewn about, and the portraits from the wall were torn from their frame and face down on the floor.

The only thing intact was the bed, and the person sitting on it, bent over, wrapped up in himself, cradling his head in his arms. She shut the door behind her while simultaneously demanding, "Kai, what the hell?"

His head snapped up, honest surprise etched into his features. Then something else passed over his face, something akin to relief - but the shutters fell and his expression became blank.

"I thought you were gone," he told her quietly.

"I was gone," she agreed, "to get a drink. Where did you think I'd gone?"

He gave a harsh laugh,"Anywhere." He let out more laughs, but they sounded too manic to be genuine. "Anywhere away from me."

She approached him cautiously, holding her hands out in a non-confrontational manner. But she wasn't afraid of him, for the first time in a long time, the display somehow different from any encounter they'd ever had. "Kai…"

He shook his head emphatically. "You're always running from me, Skye."

The statement pulled her up short, and she noticed his hands were clenched in his lap.

Skye knew she had to be careful, but for some reason she still wasn't afraid. "What does that mean, Kai?"

"It means you're always walk away from me like it's nothing. You took off with Bonnie and Damon and the Ascendant -"

She tried to cut in, "Kai, I wasn't going to go with Bonnie and Damon-"

He talked over her, growing louder, "Then you _killed _me and took off with Bonnie and the Ascendant _again_. You tried to take off with Bonnie _again_. You took off with my sister and her baby boo. You constantly side with _Damon_." He spat the name with extra venom.

She only shook her head in denial, ready with a rebuttal. "Kai -"

"So is it really that surprising that I thought you had taken off again? Found some way to leave- "

"Where do I have to go?" she burst out finally, irked by his accusations. "I've got nowhere and no one." She couldn't help but add, "you've made sure of that."

His jaw locked, his eyes blazed.

"Do you want me gone?"she taunted quietly before she asserted, "Because I can leave!"

She turned swiftly, headed straight for the door. She had only just opened the door when it was quickly slammed shut from behind, and she was spun around by the shoulders and pushed into it. Kai was breathing heavily, his face close to hers, practically nose-to-nose.

"Do you want me to leave?"she asked, more gently.

This was more like the Kai she knew: not answering a direct question, an invasion of personal space, a show of force. Lethal, ice cold eyes. A blank face. But then his facade crumbled, and he grimaced, throwing himself back, away from her to the other side of the room, debris crunching underfoot.

He started pacing, running an agitated hand through his hair, making it stick up in odd places. But she couldn't laugh at the sight - the sight that reminded her too much of the night he'd made an irrevocable mistake that had defined the rest of their lives. This moment felt a lot like that moment, only they were on the cusp of another crossroad.

"Kai…"

He swung around. "I don't know what's happening, Skye..."

"I know," she answered, coming forward. She felt like she was approaching a wild animal again, but the fear still wasn't there.

"I think it's the Merge," he said unsurely. "I think Luke's affecting me. In a bad way. A way I don't want."

She stalled, shocked. It had never crossed her mind that the Merge could mean more, have more ramifications, than Kai simply gaining the ability to generate magic. "When did this start?"

He shrugged, and Skye thought for the first time she'd never seen Kai look lost. "Immediately, I think…. I woke up and I looked at you and this feeling - " He broke off as his hand came up and hover over his chest. "Well it was overwhelming and I thought it was lust, but it was so much stronger than that. It felt like my chest was gonna burst open. I thought it would go away, you know, after we had sex."He paused and she tried to suck breath into her lungs. "But it won't go away," he chuckled hollowly. "It's there constantly and there this... unpleasant ache too, I guess, in my chest sometimes and in my stomach - it makes me feel sick." He had struggled to find the right word, and Skye was in a state of total disbelief, but he kept explaining, "It gets worse when I think about Luke and Jo."

Suddenly, he was lifting his hands to his eyes. Simply rubbing at first, but then he grounded his palms against them. He pulled him back down and Skye could see his eyes were red."And, god, then this starts in." He waved up to his face. "I don't know how to stop it either."

Skye knew her mouth was agape, but she couldn't close it.

He released a frustrated laugh, "It burns." His fingers went back to rub some more and she stumbled back shakily and sat on the edge of the bed.

"How do you get it to stop?" The question came out as a broken whisper, muffled through his hands, and she couldn't give him an answer; she was stupefied into silence.

Finally, he removed his hands and she was granted a view of his face, twisted with anger. "_How_?" he shouted. She flinched, her mouth clamping shut.

He darted forward then, hands grabbing at her wrists. He brought her arms up between them, almost pulling her off the bed. He shook her.

"Tell me, Skye," he commanded darkly.

"I don't- I don't know," she stuttered, trying to fight him, pushing back at him. "Let go of me."

He froze as his eyes were drawn to her hand. He relaxed his grip, turning her right palm face up. The scabbed-over "K" glared up at him. He stared at it, then looked into her eyes, his suddenly calm. Then she watched with trepidation as he closed his, folded his hands around hers, and started chanting - something too low for to hear and in a different language.

The brand burned red-hot on her palm.

"Ow, _Kai_." She tried to yank it from his grasp but he only tightened his hold and keep up his frantic whisper.

Soon, the brand felt like it was being re-opened, her flesh being separated before it tapered off all at once.

Kai opened his eyes then and let go of her hand. She immediately looked down to inspect her hand; the brand was gone, the skin of her palm back to its normal, pinkish hue - no angry red lines to mar it.

She glanced back up to Kai and was more rocked by the sight that greeted her, than what he'd just performed and the significance of it: Kai fighting back real, actual tears with a bitter smile. They rolled out of his eyes anyway and traveled down his cheek, despite his best efforts to rub them away. His eyes were red-rimmed and he looked pathetic. She'd never dream of seeing him like this.

"How do you get it to stop?" he asked then, wry.

She finally had the answer. "You let it out," she told him, reaching out without thinking about it, pulling him into her embrace.

Because it was her instinct, she told herself.

He came easily, falling to his knees at her feet, burying his face in her chest. She wrapped her arm around his shoulders, her hand resting on his nape.

He started sobbing, but she could only tell that from the way his body was shuddering since he wasn't making an audible sound. Except for the hiccups that would escape him every so often involuntary.

And tears leaked from her eyes too, but she didn't make a sound either. Everything inside her burned too as she held him, rocked him, like a parent would their tearful small child. Something swelled in her chest as well - indignation because _h__e _had never tried to comfort _her _like this.

* * *

Skye awoke the next morning to the smell of something burning, the acrid scent of smoke. She cracked her eye open and instantly spotted Kai sitting at the table, a pen in hand, a sheet of paper in front of him. A pile of ashes sat to the side, smoke rising up from it.

"What are you doing?" she said, her voice thick with sleep.

He simply turned to her. "Writing letters," he intoned.

"What? To whom?" she demanded, intrigued.

"Just something I found online, a way to supposedly heal yourself of emotional pain. You write a letter than burn it," he explained. "It's supposed to be cathartic, I think. A purge," he told her, smiling ruefully. "I got to tell you, though, I'm not feeling very purged."

* * *

Skye was giving him that look again, the one where she gazed at him with a furrowed brow - like she was still trying to figure out the new him, not quite completely convinced, but she had witnessed enough of his pathetic display from last night that there was a little bit of pity to be found in her expression too.

He hated it, it stung at his gut too. He wanted it gone so he continued, "I also Googled how to apologize."

He stood up from the chair and started towards the bed, catching how Skye tensed up warily at his movement - he didn't even think she realized when she was doing it anymore. It was just instinct.

Internally, he sighed. Yet another obstacle he had to overcome creatively.

"What's Google?" she questioned, mystification now spelled out on her features.

He waved a hand dismissively, not wanting to get into it that particular discussion today. "Doesn't matter. It just said I had to be sincere, direct, and specific. That I had to take full responsibility, no excuses. So I started writing a list of all the horrible things I'd done to you…" he broke off, choking up for a moment, averting his gaze from Skye to the ground. God, what did that even mean? How did that even happen? As far he knew, nothing was blocking his airway, no piece of food was stuck there. He cleared his throat. "And that list got uncomfortably long…" It had been five pages front and back and he hadn't even finished it. "I - I…"

He swallowed, trying to moisten his dry mouth. He returned his gaze back to her and realized for the first time in his life perhaps, he was actually speechless.

What was he supposed to say to her? He had no idea since she had perfected a guarded expression, like the one she was wearing at the moment, revealing nothing he could use to his advantage - _G__od_, she was too good at hiding from him when she wanted to.

He was overcome then by a yearning to be closer to her, to draw something out of her.

He got on the bed and crawled over to her. He was extremely gratified to see that she didn't instantly back away; she let him reach her, let him take her face in his hands and bring it close to his. He breathed in her breath deeply, keeping his eyes open, on hers, noting again the blonde of her eyelashes. Her hands went to his wrists as her eyes closed.

The position was eerily similar to the one that night, when he asked the question that altered their lives forever - when he let her be the decider of his fate, make a choice that seemed so wrong now but was so right to him then. Except then, he had been the one to close his eyes, and she had kept her open.

"I'm sorry," he breathed.

Her answer now was just as important to him as it was then but for a different reason.

But she didn't say anything so he kept repeating it: "Sorrysorrysorry."

He repeated the word in a whisper, in a rush, his lips brushing against hers, until the phrase almost lost all meaning to him.

He murmured desperately, "_Skye_."

Finally, she exhaled roughly, almost as if she were in pain. "Stop apologizing," she said softly. "It's okay."

Her words loosened the knot in his chest.

He couldn't help it then; he attacked her lips, crushing her face against his. And it was desperate as well, this kiss - full of his need and impatience and atonement and her forgiveness. At least he hoped that was what it was.

He was so caught up, she had to push against his chest twice before he figured out she wanted his attention.

Kai pulled away, but fixed his eyes on Skye's lips - they were red and swollen. His chest felt extraordinarily light now, like it had never been weighted down at all.

"I want to change the terms of our deal," she said.

His eyes whipped back up to hers, his interest now piqued. She looked hesitant, but continued anyway, "Instead of doing the locator spell... I want you to try and help bring Bonnie home instead."

It took a minute for him to even make sense of the words. As soon as he did, however, he found himself nodding readily, compliantly. After a moment in which she sat stunned, she grinned at him, pleased, and right then he was certain his heart had soared, if it was capable of such a thing.

Besides, he'd agree to anything as long as Skye would be there, whispering, "It's okay."

* * *

_A/N: Hi guys! Sorry for making you wait almost two months for this one. I started my last semester of college and it's been a little stressful. But I hope you enjoy the update! You finally get to see what Operation Blue Lagoon means - it's funny because I mentioned it twice, but nobody ever asked what it was._

_So I really went back and forth with the present timeline and considered a lot of options but ultimately decided to take the route I originally envisioned. It might seem weird to have a time break and summarize some events, but that's the only way I could figure out how to fit all the stuff I wanted to in there. Also, you will see I didn't actually get to the events of 6x13 - yeah, this few sections ended up being longer than I anticipated. I think it's okay because I now feel it's necessary to give Kai and Skye some space and time away from the Mystic Falls gang for their development. _

_Anyway, those are my justifications if some of the content of this chapter disappoint anyone after such a long wait._

_The next chapter will have another baby related, European flashback and the present timeline will contain something that will actually surprise some of you. (It surprised me when I was writing it.)_

_Thank you very much to those who keeping adding the story their follows and favorites, but especially to the reviewers:_

_NiNa5__: Thanks so much! I hope this chapter was worth the wait. Thanks for commenting on the sneak peek too! I really appreciate your support._

_RHatch89__: Thank you!_

_xcutepoison__: Here it is. Thank you!_

_Britt__: Thank you! Hope you enjoyed._

_Pluv143000__: Thanks so much! And you're welcome : ) Hope you enjoyed Kai's p.o.v. parts here. They were definitely fun to write. Hope you can forgive this wait too, and I'm glad the dream sequence affected you like that._

_sbritt264__: Thank you! I plan too, just might take some time._

_sarahmichellegellarfan__1: Great, thank you!_

_Kathleencade17__: Thanks! Hope you enjoyed this update._

_Sweet Summer Sunset__: Wow, thanks for comparing my writing to an episode of SPN, I love that show! I'm glad you enjoyed it and that it paid off. I loved that version of Kai too. Sorry I couldn't actually show them arriving at Paris. Don't worry, though, for the next flashback, they will definitely be someplace cool, actually interacting with the environment. I'm a sucker for other cultures too so know that is definitely coming. Thanks for being understanding about Jo/Skye - there will definitely be opportunities coming up for them to mend it. I hope this chapter was satisfying for you in how I portrayed after-Merge Kai and overall. Thanks again : )_

_YoCupcake__: Lol, you never fail to make me laugh with your reviews. I'm glad you enjoyed the smut; you were really the only person to comment on it. As you can see from the flashback, I've decided to embrace it. The flashback of Chapter 15 was actually a dream sequence, so it was kinda of Skye's fantasy, but I like the idea of a flashback where Kai could afford to be a little caring, even if it's for a nefarious reason lol. But about Liz - oh my god, rewatching that episode, I expected her to make noise of pains or something but nothing so that's why I made it ambiguous. I totally agree with you now, I think she enjoyed it lol._

_Anyway, hoped you enjoyed this update. Don't worry, Pre-Merge Kai will still be around in the flashbacks. And Kai's still gonna have plenty moments of emotion confliction, as you've seen above, especially concerning Skye. _

_I'm also looking forward to an update from you! In the meantime, I need to buckle down and read Captive because I love me some Kennett too. _

_SPARKELS77__: Aww, thank you!_

_annabethchase1500__; Thank you! Hope you liked the update._

_Khari__: Thank you! Thanks for the understanding as well with Skye's autonomy, especially since it suffers a bit here too. But she will regain it shortly; I think we see a glimpse of it at the end. I might go back one day and rewrite that "compulsion" scene so it's clearer but thanks for the understanding on that too. Anyway, hope you liked this update and that the After-Merge parts are up to par._

_Nicole__: Thank you! I hope you enjoyed this new chapter._

_TeenWolf136__: Wow, thanks so much! I hope you still feel the same about Skye after this chapter; she's finally able to confront some darker demons she has. But she'll be back to herself shortly. The flashback for the chapter after next will be a college one - their first date. Anyway, hope you liked this update._

_Update__/ Guest: Thank you so much for the encouragement to update and the praise for the sneak peek. Right now, I have no idea where the bar fight would fit in but I'll make a note to sneak it in sometime! I really appreciate your support and passion for the story. I hope you enjoyed the rest of the chapter._

_Katie: Thanks, I really appreciate your insights! : )_

_Sophiewhettingsteel: Thank you for the thank you! I hope you like this chapter._


	17. Chapter 17

Set during 6x13, "The Day I Tried to Live"

Hold me down

I'll steal the moon

I'll tear the night

Keep it from you

Hold me up

and watch me bloom

a poison fume

Now I'm done staying

Quit playing

I'm out on this,

I've spent too long lying,

And now I'm trying to hurt you

But you've seen me bare,

you've seen me covered up

Maybe I'm not scared, what you're thinking of

You've seen me here,

and held me miles away

Underneath my skin, is all you'll see today

I could take you there,

If you let me see

Why you are the one,

Are you the one for me?

Time is wasted,

And I'm not losing sleep

Don't just stand and stare

Come on and bare your teeth

"Bare" by Wildes

**Warning: the flashback is rated M for explicit sexual content. Figured I couldn't have them trying ****for a child**** without showing some of the sex so... you're welcome? : ) **

Chapter 17 - Come On and Bare Your Teeth

_May 10, 1994_

_Despite Kai's assertions on the plane, they did not have sex on the top of the Eiffel Tower. Nor on top of the Mona Lisa on at the __Louvre__, like he had later suggested. _

_They didn't even go up to the top of the Tower. Simply seeing the massive structure at close range was enough for Skye - besides, standing on the edge of a high altitude was never a good idea when Kai was around. She still didn't quite trust him - basically never would again, if she were being honest - and she didn't want to test him by tempting him this particular time._

_But they certainly did it in other interesting, inappropriate places - like on the exterior table of a cafe, the __wrought__ iron not the most forgiving surface, and wet from __cappuccinos__ they had spilled in their lust-fueled haste. And Kai had decided to eat his breakfast off her chest instead that day._

_Or the day they took a day trip to the coast and went skinny dipping in the ocean. Then had another round on the beach, kicking up sand, causing it to stick in the most uncomfortable places. She whispered most of the French phrases she knew in his ear - even the most unsexy ones, like,"there are beautiful buildings on campus." He didn't know the difference, but he told her he liked it anyway. She made sure to stay away from the one she knew he'd recognize, even in the heat of the moment, at the zenith of euphoria._

_It was an urban fantasy__, she decided, as they__ walk__ed__ the empty, ornate Parisian streets __and__ dusk crept in on the horizon, __turning the sky into swirls of purple, pink, and oranges__. _

_Skye couldn't help but feel that something was missing, however. _

_She gazed at him __while __he stro__lled lazily__ beside her. "You know, there is one thing that is supposed to be new and exciting about traveling abroad that we're kinda lacking here.."_

_His brow quirked, he gave her a sideways glance._

_"The people you're supposed to meet," she said. "The locals who live in that location."_

_He snorted __derisively__. "That's the difference between you and me, babe. I don't need people." He sped up, overtaking her stride. _

_She stayed behind and hummed, disbelieving. He stalked a few paces ahead of her now._

"_So let's say your dad killed me and sent you here alone," she called. "You'd be completely fine by yourself?"_

"_Yes." It was said decisively, and he hadn't even bothered turning around._

"_Huh, that must be why you can't seem to leave me alone for more than a few weeks at a time," she __murmured__ caustically, her face downcast._

_She let out a "oof" a second later as she smacked into him__._

_His lips were pursed, his face disapproving. "I seek you out because I'm bored. Not because I miss you or whatever lame, cutesy idea you have rolling around in your head." He smirked down at her then. "You just never fail to provide entertainment."_

_That night, they stayed at __Château de Fontainebleau__, just 3__4 miles outside Paris,__ once home to many __French monarchs across time, ranging from Louis VII to the Napoleon III__. It was now a__ museum, full of priceless artifacts. Its rich history, its beautiful architecture and decoration, could hit you like a physical blow - take your breath. _

_Kai desecrated it - smashed and ripped room after room, but only after she got to explore it, soak up the weight of its atmosphere. Then she'd give the go ahead without a scowl or a flinch, because her anger simmered, even while his raged. _

_Hours later, t__hey laid in a musty, u__ncomfortable__ bed that pos__sibly could've__been__older than the United states. _

"_We'll go to the Palace of Versailles tomorrow night," Kai promised then added, his eyes gleaming playfully, "Fun fact. Versailles was the sight of the first successful hot air balloon launch with a human as a passenger." With that, Kai __blew warm breath on her chest and began his descent south. _

_Skye fell asleep, with a smile on her face, sated and boneless, with him curled around her, telling __her how they used geese and other animals as guinea pigs__. _

_However, the next morning, she woke__ up __to an empty bed. _

_Paranoid, she searched the whole Chateau - the spacious ballrooms and myriad __apartments__ \- __treading carefully on__ cold floors__ and__tentatively__ calling out his name, with an antique candlestick in hand. Now was not the time for a game of cat and mouse; he had promised. _Except when had that stopped him? _she berated herself._

_But it was all in vain, he was nowhere in sight. _

Why would he leave? _was the other question she kept torturing herself with. _

_He had come up with more conditions - inane ones. Like she wasn't allowed to put her cold feet on his legs in the morning. She __had to observe all the holidays of whatever country they were in, even if they didn't know how exactly to celebrate them._

_And she had added some ridiculous ones to her list in re__taliation__ \- like he couldn't eat too much pungent food__ or perform lewd gestures on the statues they came across._

_But she hadn't broken any of his - small or big - she had made sure. _

_For the rest of the day, she stewed in confusion. As the night wore on, the Chateau suddenly seemed too big for her. She drove __back into Paris and__ checked into a hotel with old world architecture on the exterior, but very modern __flourishes__on__ the interior. The bed of the biggest suite was __well-cushioned__ and the sheets smelled of detergent. _

_On the second day of his __disappearance__, Skye shopped. She went to all the fancy boutiques. Since money was no object, she didn't discriminate. A variety of jewelry, clothes, and shoes - even stuff she'd never considering wearing out in public in her past life - all found their way into several bags. It took her several trips to lug it all back to the hotel, but it was worth it. One dress - a slinky black one with three quarter sleeves, an __asymmetrical__ hemline, flowy skirt, and plunging neckline stuck out to her. She put it on and admired herself in the mirror, loving the way it flared __out on__ her hips while it clinged to her torso. The material was __soft and__ breathable. She ignored the purple bags under her eyes and her unkempt hair. She painted her nails a deep red. _

_On the third day, Skye stayed in, __attempting__ to throw something together from the items she found in the hotel kitchen's __refrigerator__ and pantry. She hadn't eaten anything in the last two days, choosing to subside on coffee and nervous __energy__. _

_At dusk, she was dozing off, still dressed in the black dress. Tossing and turning, overheated and throwing off sheets, she was caught up in a fever dream - the sensation of faint touches and hot phantom lips, all over her, both thrilling her and causing her distress. Until she snapped into awareness and realized the sensation was all too real. _

_She flipped over on her back, her hands flailing out, hitting their target who "Ow"ed__very flatly. _

_Kai kneeled on the bed, wearing differ__ent clothes__, his hand covering one other rested on her hip. _

_When he lowered his hand, returning it to her thigh, she saw his wide grin, noted his eyes were alight with the usual__ brand of __mischief. _

_"Nice digs, babe," he complimented, looking around. "Lacks historical significance probably, but I'll give you points for style and taste."_

_"Where the hell were you?" she demanded, shoving his hands away. _

_He frowned, scanning her face. She hoped she gave no__ne__ of her worry away on her face__.__ "You know, you could've paged me, if you were that worried about me."_

Of course_, she thought. _

_"You know I don't know how the European phone system works__,__" she rebutted. _

_"Newsflash, you're pretty smart. You could've figured it out."_

_"And you're avoiding my question..." she pointed out. _

_Kai smirked in reply - a nasty, tenacious one that told her she wasn't going to be able to pry anything out of him. _

_She shook her head, huffing out her __agitation__._

_"It's nothing you need to worry about," he told her plainly, with an air of __condescension and finality__. _

_She __scowled__ at him, and it only caused his smirk to widen. But then it slowly faded as his eyes trailed down the __length__ of her body, the skirt of the dress splayed up over her hips, the hemline hitting midthigh. _

_His__ eyes travelled back, __brimming with lust - the air between became charged. He lean__ed __forward, moving closer to her, and she stayed put, __captivated despite herself._

_His hip pressed into hers as he hovered over her, one arm bracing him against the bed._

_"You could've left a note," she mumbled petulantly as his other palm cupped her cheek. His stare hungry, he descended his head, brushing his lips against hers softly, dragging his open mouth across hers and down to her chin, then back up, his bottom lip catching there for a second. It was one of the most erotic things he was capable of, in her opinion, and the__ place between her legs __throbbed in response__._

_But she raised her hands and touched them to his chest, forming a slight barrier, turning her face the side. His lips grazed her cheeks. "I thought I made you angry. Or violated one of your stupid rules..." _

_"It had nothing to do with you," Kai whispered against her skin. _

_She shivered, her fingers squeezing the material of his shirt. _

_"Well, you left right after a conversation we had about how you'd be fine on your own. Couldn't help but think you wanted to try it out."_

_Kai pulled back, eyei__ng her critically__. "Kinda counter-productive to our goal here."_

Their goal?

_Skye deflated as she realized what he meant. "Oh, so missing three days of __precious__ baby-making time wasn't counter-productive to _our goal_?" _

_Kai chuckled, only making Skye feel even more ridiculous and paranoid._

_"That's what you're really mad about, huh?" he accused teasingly._

_She scoffed, but he went for the kill anyway. Pressing his full weight into her, his lips dropped down on her__'s__ more forcefully, one hand finding her neck, the other tangling in her hair._

_She groaned against his mouth as she felt him relax into her. He took it as an invitation to slip his tongue in. After a short moment of consideration, she met it with hers and hitched her leg around his hip, __intentionally__ creating a better angle for their groins __to align__. _

_Her stomach clenched. Kai made a noise of approval. _

_He __glided__ his hand down, running it along her thigh until it was under her dress and reaching higher. _

_Gripping his shirt, and using her leg for leverage, she swiftly rolled them ov__er __and then she was on top of him. _

_She peeled off his shirt, then was quick to distract him with another kiss, grinding her hips into his, grabbing at his hands. She tried to __trap__ his arms above his head, into the pillows, as she __scraped__ her teeth along his smooth jaw, licked around the mole on his neck._

_But, like always, he was too strong and s__mart__. _

_In a second, she was back to her original position - on her back with him between her legs, __bowed__ over her. By the time she registered what was happening, his hands were already under her dress, palming her heat, checking her readiness, before he pulled her black lacy underwear down, exposing her._

_"I thought we talked about ease of access," he __chastised__gruffly__."No underwear."_

_"You were gone," she reminded him defiantly, closing her eyes and tipping her head back as his __fingertips__ ghosted over the insides of her thighs._

_She sighed in defeat._

_He only smirked at her in triumph while, with one hand, he fumbled impatiently with his jean's button and zipper. The other one held her legs apart. _

_Once he freed himself, his length popping out fully erect, he wasted no time driving himself into her. _

_They moaned in unison, relieved - making sex an everyday __occurrence__ had probably not been an healthy decision on their part. Now going without it for more than the requisite time meant danger__ \- mad deprivation._

_He leaned down, his face going into the crook of her neck, his hands squeezing her breasts, and started to set __a__ n__ormal __pace. _

_Skye tried to wrap her arms around his __shoulders__, but Kai's hands left her chest and roughly snatched her wrists. He pinned them above her head and held them there, fram__ing them__ against her fanned out hair. _

_She gasped, "_Kai_."_

_He laughed __breathlessly__,__ care-free. _

_Raising up to a sitting position, he brought her with him, continuing to thrust up into her, an arm __circling__ her waist. She rocked her hips too, and she was finally able to wrap her arm around his shoulders now. Her other hand cradled his head; she raked her fingers through his sweaty hair as she rested his forehead against his, her eyes closed._

_"I know a different language too, babe," he __murmured__ into her ear. His hand drifted from the small of her back to her front, the area above her pubic bone."You wanna hear it?"_

_She nodded, swallowing to wet the dryness of her mouth. _

_"_Phasmatos fertilitatis_," he foreign words stirred something in her, starting from her core and radiating out. Her skin burned, __exacerbating__ the delicious ache between her legs._

_Her nails dug into his skull, into his shoulder__;__ the heat was almost un__bearable__. He hissed and threw her down on her back again, this time crossways on the bed. _

_His thrusts became more __vigorous__ \- so __strong__ they moved a __few inches__ each time until their heads were dangling off the edge of the bed._

_Alarmed, Skye grasped his shoulders tighter. "Kai, we- we're gonna...fall," she choked out. _

_"We'll be... fine,"Kai said, bracing himself against the bed frame. He kept up his rapid tempo, finally hitting just the right spot within Skye__._

_She gasped again, clutching him, the sheer anticipation clouding her mind. __Abruptly__, he stopped and,__ baffled,__ she __panted,__"What-" _

_She was cut off as they fell, her upper back hitting the thick, plush rug under her, her legs still partway on the bed. He crashed down on top of her, impaling her where they still intimately connected, his arms flying out to support them. _

_He huffed out in annoyance. _

_Skye inhaled sharply and then started laughing - great, __guttural__ laughs that trilled out into the air. Soon, her gut was taut and burning, her laughter became silent, and she was nearly light-headed, due to the lack of oxygen and the exertion._

_Single-minded, __Kai s__tarted__ his __frenzied__ pace again, despite them being almost vertical and perpendicular with the floor, and that elicited another rounds of giggles from her until he hit that spot again. _

_The laughter died on her lips, and __she moaned instead, her hips bucking of their own accord. _

_Each new movement slid them down the side of the bed, further and further, until __she was__ flat on the floor._

_Kai grabbed ahold of her hips a__nd lifted her up into the last of her thrusts until he came, his mouth falling open._

_Her legs quivering around him, __she did too finally, the heat dying down inside her. _

_The sex, her orgasm, had acted as a catharsis, extinguishing her paranoia and irritability._

_Kai pulled out and flopped down on the rug beside her. She heard him take in deep breathes and glanced down at his body - his feet were still clad in Converse, his pants and boxer bunched around his ankles. __"Oh, my god. You still have your __shoes__ on."_

_She collapsed into another fit of laughter, and this time Kai joined in. _

_The next day, they headed to Spain in a small compact - __Skye had gotten her fill of Paris and France in general. _

_They were going to __Barcelona__ and had nine and a half hours to fill with radio karaoke, childish car games, and petty arguments. _

_At one point, she worked up the courage to ask exactly what language he used the night before, what he had said. _

"_Latin," he told her. "And it was nonsense. Just something I heard as a kid."_

"_Something witch-related?" she asked, sensing he was equivocating._

_She could've sworn the corner of his mouth twitched. "No," he replied, his tone just the right amount of apathetic. _

_Skye accepted, right then, that she would probably never be privy to his secrets._

* * *

It was exactly 55 minutes from their motel outside of Whitmore to the the Boarding house in Mystic Falls.

Skye knew this because she counted every excruciating minute, watched it tick away on the clock's digital readout, all in an effort to ignore Kai's not-so-furtive glances at her. He had done everything he could to gain her attention, including but not limited to a rousing, over-the-top rendition of "We Are the Champions" by Queen complete with air drums and mouth imitations of the guitar riffs - except he changed the lyrics: "we are" became "I am" and "of the world" became "of the Merge."

It was moments like these that she'd wonder whether she imagined his breakdown - his admissions of empathy and guilt, the crying and the healing. Again, she'd ponder if his behavior was some kind of elaborate ruse meant to lull her into a false sense of security.

Only she was still on edge, and she doubted that was changing any time soon.

And then she'd caught the look of melancholy that passed over his features after the song ended. And she recalled that _he _had been the one who insisted on rewriting the letters he burned and actually delivering them to their intended recipient through whatever means possible... she remembered the readiness to which he had responded to her request.

Hence, presently, why they were at the Boarding House, parking right in front of the door.

They stepped out the borrowed car - some time when she wasn't paying attention, Kai had swapped vehicles again, which was prudent if somewhat unnerving.

Now, they were using the one from Tyler's house - the one they had driven in to the cemetery, the day she got to see Jo knocked-out and bound to a bench, courtesy of the man beside her. Olivia and Lucas teaming up with him. _Luke_. Skye felt a pang in her chest and her head spun, as she thought about all that had occurred in such a short amount of time.

Skye shook the thoughts away as they reached the heavy wooden door. Kai swung it open without preamble which had Skye rolling her eyes.

Reluctantly, Skye followed after him into the foyer, sweeping their surroundings. She didn't immediately spot anyone and was shocked but grateful - nobody had witnessed them barging in. It also meant they had the element of surprise. A chance to make their case.

"Hello?" he called.

Skye shook her head at this - scratch that, now Kai would most likely be decapitated on sight.

"Really, Kai?" she scoffed.

He turned right, presumedly headed for the kitchen as he was often apt to do in any place or situation, throwing her a questioning glance over his shoulder. She trailed him, her stomach in knots. "Now they're gonna attack first and ask questions later."

He shrugged, flashing her a smirk. "They can try, but I'll let you decide my method of defense."

"Only defense," she reiterated sternly.

He waved a dismissive hand as he faced her, now walking backwards down the long hallway.

"Acid blood spell or magical aneurysm?" He brought his hands up, weighting the two options. "Both mean they'll experience crippling pain - wait," he broke off, frowning. "I guess that's not a plus anymore."

"Yep," she confirmed. "Especially when we're asking them for a favor, remember?"

But he had already pivoted back around - they had arrived at the kitchen doorway. He walked through and she was able to see that he had successfully located the "them" in question - Elena and Damon, looking none too enthused with Kai's and Skye's sudden intrusion, leaning towards each other over a counter filled with cupcakes. Skye didn't even want to contemplate what had possibly been happening before she and Kai arrived.

"Woo, I forgot how massive this house was," Kai greeted, obliviously, turning excited when he spotted the treats. "Oh, yum, cupcakes!"

Both vampires gave him looks of disbelief.

"Sorry, are we interrupting something?" Kai asked.

"I think so," Skye chimed in, crossing her arms. "If the smeared chocolate icing on Damon's lips is any indication."

Damon was quick to wipe it away, glaring at her before he switched to Kai's direction. "What are you doing here?" he demanded.

But Kai's focused had been drawn away as he glanced back to Skye suspiciously."Why are you looking at Damon's lips?"

"Because I'm irresistible, but that's not the point," Damon told him. He snapped his fingers. "Focus, Kai."

"Fine," Kai relented mulishly, as he faced them again. "Funniest thing, I need your help." He held up the letter in his hand, the new one addressed to Jo. Damon and Elena exchanged bewildered looks.

"But first," he continued, coming forward to snatch a cupcake off the counter as Elena and Damon backed away. "Cupcakes." He grabbed a second one and turned, offering it out to Skye. She shook her head. He shrugged and carried both to the table, choosing to sit on the table top, putting his feet on the bench.

Skye glanced to the others, who were watching Kai cautiously. She walked to the table and sat on the bench, a full foot away from Kai.

After a moment, he began scooting closer to her until his thigh pressed against her shoulder and started peeling the paper off his first cupcake.

She sent him a "Seriously?" look and he smiled innocently in reply, biting in the cupcake. Then he groaned, complete bliss written across his face. "Tasty... you're missing out, babe," he told her after he swallowed.

Skye shrugged indifferently. From her periphery, she saw his face fall but he turned away a second later and started picking at his cupcake.

"So why would we give a letter to Jo?" questioned Elena finally, as the two vampires recovered from their shock.

"I haven't been able to find her using a locator spell. And, you know, good on her. 'Cause under normal circumstances, I'd be super jazzed to gouge out her belly button," he said, licking some icing off his finger. Skye closed her eyes briefly and took a deep breath. _Remember_, she reminded herself.

"Why would we help you, Kai?" Elena's new question was more hostile than the one before.

"Well, in case you haven't figure it out by now, I'm a sociopath," Kai informed. In response to this, Elena wore what Skye could only describe as a "duh face." "I know, shocker. I like being a sociopath, you know. I'm not burdened by things like guilt or love." Here, Skye felt Kai's eyes on her for a moment, but she refused to meet his gaze for fear of what she would see there.

He resumed,"So then this Merge happened with my brother, Luke." Cue impatient stares from both vampires. "And I won, which was great because I absorbed his ability to do magic," he boasted, before his voice took on a solemn tone. "But now I can't stop thinking about how Luke died. How Liv's life is - is ruined." Elena leaned forward, her brow creased, now clearly intrigued, while Damon turned his back, crossing his arms, resistant. "For some horrible reason, I can't shake how badly I feel about it," Kai finished with a small, incredulous laugh.

"You feel bad?" Elena repeated, dubious, shooting Skye a look. Skye just sat, neutral, quelling a random urge she had to laugh hysterically.

"Yeah, so when I absorbed Luke's magic, I must've gotten some of his qualities or something. Like empathy," he said, the last part sounding almost like a dirty word as it left his mouth. "So I Goggled how to process emotional pain, and they said if you write everything down in a letter and burn it, you'll be healed. So I started writing, and this water started literally pooling in my eyes. Has that ever happened to you?" Now both regarded him strangely. "Like - like water just-just oozing out of my eyeballs like I'm some alien creature excreting fluids."

"You mean you cried?" Elena clarified while Skye sighed heavily.

"Yes!" he said emphatically, with more incredulous guffaws.

"He know's what crying is," Skye broke in, exasperated.

"And after that was done," Kai proceeded, undeterred. "I burn the letter, but the feelings - whoop! - still there." His smile was rueful as he gazed down at the floor, before he looked back up, his expression forlorn. "So I really feel strongly that Jo needs to know how sorry I am for destroying our family."

Elena and Damon were silent, with Elena serious-faced and Damon seemingly unconvinced. Kai must've sensed their doubt as he burst out, "But let's face it, guys...I mean, Elena, you-you of all people should be willing to look past the questionable things I've done," he said. Elena's gaze hardened but Kai didn't falter, "to see that there's - there's good somewhere in me... you did it with Damon."

"Okay, I think we're done here," Damon cut in, coming to life. He grabbed Elena's arm. But she held up a hand, halting him, as she considered, her features contemplative.

"Skye can vouch for me," Kai told them as the moment became prolonged.

"It's true," Skye interjected, unprompted, wanting to get this phase of the day over with. She felt they had more important things to do so she said, "And if the truth isn't enough to motivate you to help, he also has something to offer in exchange for your service." She nodded towards him, and he cleared his throat, seeming more markedly uncomfortable than before.

"I could perform a spell that would allow you to contact Bonnie."

Skye watched as the words settled over Damon and Elena - the way the caution in their gazes shifted, became something resembling a guarded hope. Damon looked to Elena, as she steeled herself, resolute.

"Done," she said firmly. "We'll give the letter to Jo after you do the spell."

"Elena-" Damon started.

She held up a hand towards him again. "No, Damon." She stood from the stool. "We will take any chance we can."

"Fine," Damon conceded, raising his hands in surrender. "Then can I talk to P.G. alone please?"

"P.G.?" Elena queried just as Kai shot a quick, unreadable look to Skye, who sighed again.

"He means me," she told Elena.

Meanwhile, Damon prompted, "Elena, why don't you go get the Ascendant? Give it to him so he can start working on it."

Elena seemed perplexed momentarily, but then shrugged, accepting it, and moved to the doorway. Kai was less easily persuaded. His jaw was tight, his eyes flicking between them warily. He stood finally, put his unfinished cupcake down on the table, and shuffled closer to her side.

"What does that mean anyway? The initials?" he asked, inclining his head down to her.

She glanced at Damon, who was offering no help with his smirking. "I honestly don't even remember, Kai," she lied.

Damon taunted,"It means 'Psycho's Girlfriend.' I'll admit not my best work, but I did tell her it's still a work in progress."

Kai's front half invaded her line of vision, effectively blocking her sight of Damon before the latter had even finished his taunt. She kept her eyes averted from Kai's face, however, training her gaze on the sleeve cuff of his black blazer.

She stared as it moved up with his raised hand and came to rest on her shoulder, his thumb brushing against her collarbone. Instantly, an image of a bespectacled version of Kai performing the same action infiltrated her mind. She ducked her head, dug the palms of her hand into her eyes for a moment.

"Leave if he starts eyeing you like I eye a new bag of pork rinds, okay? Particularly if it's in this area," Kai said, waving his free hand around, gesturing to his neck.

Damon snorted in the background. Kai ignored him and tipped Skye's chin up, his thumb and forefinger gently pressing to her jaw, until she had no choice but to peer into his eyes, which were earnest and intense, not at all mischievous as she expected them to be after such a quip.

Nodding, she gave him a strained, fleeting smile in reply. He grinned back, a mega-watt one that showcased his dimples, and her stomach dropped.

She swallowed hard as he finally left, tossing one last look at Damon that was somehow both smug and threatening. Damon only waved good-bye, in a over-exaggerated, sarcastic way.

After Kai was gone, Damon leaned against the counter again. "So you know him better than any of us. Are you really buying it?" he asked.

"Yes, I believe him," she said softly, a quiet conviction. "Wanna know why? You heard him, he barely believes it himself. He even stuttered in some places. If he were lying, he'd be more smooth about it."

He had also used present tense earlier, she noticed. _I _like _being a sociopath, _I'm _not burdened by things like guilt or love. _It meant he was still in denial, it meant that a part of him was still rejecting the idea. And the fact that he hadn't completely accepted it was reassuring to her, in a twisted way. "Plus, he's been doing a pretty great impression of static cling on me for the last few days," she mumbled. She grabbed his discarded cupcake and started picking at it.

"And that means he's suddenly reformed?" Damon questioned, skeptical. "That's all it takes for Juvenile Jason to change his homicidal stripes?"

"I don't know," she rejoined. "What did it take for you?"

That pulled Damon up short, his face going dead. He immediately took a defensive stance, crossing his arms once again. "You don't know what you're talking about."

Skye felt her patience snap like a rubber band that had been stretched too taut.

"Excuse me, but didn't you willingly admit to us that you not only murdered a pregnant woman but countless others in this very house? Hell, you even tried to kill me not too long ago."

"Excuse me," he countered. "But weren't we in this very room when you and Bonnie told me that was different because I -"

"Felt remorse? Yeah, but guess what, so does Kai now."

"Please, that's only because of wonder twin's soul inside him..."

"I don't care how he feels it, only that he does and that he's following up on it, okay?" Kai was actually apologizing, attempting to make amends, of his own accord. She thought it was a step up from just making pancakes every day. She doubted Damon even felt bad for putting her life in danger, and he certainly had yet to apologize for it. "When he falls down into your arms and sobs on your chest like a child, then you can tell me how to feel about it, yeah?" she finished acidically.

And this whole situation was so foreign to Skye - having to _defend _Kai. A part of her was boiling, pissed off about it, but the other part could understand that his transformation was difficult to believe. She wouldn't have bought it either if she hadn't witnessed it first-hand. She just wished she didn't have to be the one to explain it, to corroborate him...

Damon stood, stunned. His eyebrows were going crazy - bunching and unbunching almost rhythmically, his forehead crinkling.

She exhaled a deep breath, feeling the need to reassure him that their intentions here were good. "If he breaks our trust, you won't even have to worry about going after him 'cause I'll kill him myself." Even if she had to take herself out in the process.

His forehead smoothed out then.

She got to her feet, set down the cupcake, and headed for the doorway. She was half-way through it when Damon's voice reached her, flippant."You two have the most messed up relationship I've ever seen. And I've lived a long time, seen a lot of them, been in a few myself." He trailed after her.

"I know, Princess Peach and her evil twin. Kai's told me all about them," Skye snarked.

* * *

"Sad attempt at iron welding," Kai announced, as he fingered the gears of the Ascendant.

"I tried to fix it," Elena said, just as Kai flipped it over and a small piece fell to the surface of the pool table with a clang. Kai made a disgruntled face.

To Skye, the poor contraption was barely recognizable. Half-charred, sooty, and incomplete.

Kai peered at her across from him before he spun to Damon on his other side. "I can't bring Bonnie back with this," he claimed, frustrated.

Elena spoke up, "I thought you were the all-powerful leader of the Gemini coven now."

"I destroyed this," Kai said slowly as he faced Elena, extending the center of the Ascendent towards, " so it couldn't be used again." He was adopting his "I am of superior intellect and this person's intellect is obviously that of a child's" voice again. Another instance of reassurance for Skye that some aspects of Kai had remained the same.

"Well, could we use that hunk of junk to send a message at least?" Damon intervened, placating.

Kai raised up the "hunk of junk" as his answer.

"It _is _her birthday," Damon said significantly.

"It is?" Kai asked, his tone uncharacteristically grave.

"That's what the cupcakes were for?" Skye quizzed.

"Yeah," Damon answered, stalking further into the room. "It's really sad. I mean, old Bon Bon is gonna be getting all dressed up for a party no one's even gonna show up to." Skye barely heard Damon, too focused on the fact that a group of friends would make cupcakes for a friend who was missing. Probably presumed dead by some. Still both would not allow her to actually consume the treats. But then she glanced at Elena, who observed Damon raptly, and tuned back in, figuring out what Damon was up to within a second. "I mean I wonder if she even knows that it is her birthday? Or do all the days just blend into one vast sea of misery?" Damon finished as he stopped at Kai's side.

Kai looked dejected now, but it was tinged with a mixture of a guilt and befuddlement - the latter emotion probably borne of said guilt. His expression resembled that of a puppy's who had been left out in the rain.

Then there were instances like this where she had to wonder if the real Kai had been completely abducted out of his body. The real Kai would've never fallen for Damon's ploy.

"He's manipulating you," she informed Kai, whose eyes darted to her, startled. Elena had a similar reaction. She scowled at Damon, who seemed less surprised and glowered right back. "Which is unnecessary because he's already agreed to bring her back, however he can, no matter what. Otherwise, he'll be reneging on a deal we made, and I know he doesn't want that, especially since all I've done is follow through on my end..." She smiled at him - a bigger one than before and was not so fleeting. If anyone was going to manipulate him, get the best of him, it would be her. _Only her._

At that, Kai's better spirits seemed to return, his countenance lightening up. "One of the crown wheels survived. That's a positive," he said to her, spinning the gear in question. "Plus, I am mega-powerful." His arrogance was back and directed at Damon.

_There he is, _Skye thought as Damon nodded vigorously, compliant with his statement. He was laying it on thick and not very subtly, but at least that meant that he now believed Kai was capable of empathy, and that he wanted Bonnie to come home just as much as she did.

"What do you want to say?" Kai asked now, all business.

"Well, if Bonnie needs magic to get out, we just need to tell her where to find some," Damon said.

Kai raised the Ascendant up again, studying it with a critical eye. "First, do you guys have some tools for jewelry repair? This thing needs some work."

Damon and Elena went off in search of a jewelry repair tool kit while Kai, handing her the mostly intact base of the Ascendent, went into the next room and came back with two bar stools. He set them down by the pool table and took the base back from her, then he swept up the pieces that fallen off earlier and placed them on the white cloth, which contained all the other detached remnants. He pulled the edges of the cloth together, creating a bundle, and dragged it over to the edge of the pool table, where he sat on a stool.

She stood stiffly as he spread the cloth out again, meticulously sorted the pieces, and started trying to attach the bigger ones back to the base, all the while thinking that she was really tired of watching people piece together the device.

Kai paused and eyed her, then tipped his head to the stool next to him. "We're gonna be doing this for a while, babe. And your general presence - your energy - right now is distracting me - like a black cloud hanging over me."

Huffing, she sat down as he resumed his actions. "Isn't there a more efficient and time-effective way to contact her? One that doesn't involve putting this thing back together for the 40 thousandth time?"

"It's serves as a conduit between the dimensions," he said knowingly. "We'd need it no matter what method we choose." He looked at her then, his eyes glinting slyly. "At least now we can get it back in our possession."

Skye felt her brows furrow, but that's when Damon and Elena filed back into the room so she couldn't respond.

Elena passed Skye the tool kit and walked away to the other side of the pool table while Damon went straight to the bar behind them and poured himself a tumbler of bourbon.

Skye set the tool kit down next to Kai's layout. Unclasping the latch, she unfolded it up and spread it out, putting the small, delicate tools on display. Kai reached over and grabbed a magnifying glass and tweezers.

Skye surveyed the vampires - Damon behind her, savoring his drink while Elena leaned up against the wall.

She said curiously, "So _where _can Bonnie find some magic?"

"Okay, so we know Jo stored her magic in a hunting knife," Elena began while Kai examined one the Ascendant base pieces with the magnifying glass.

"But Kai sucked it up in the Prison World," Skye said, making a point to _not _remember the details of went down even if she couldn't help but stare accusingly at Kai. His shoulders hunched.

"And Bonnie sent hers over with ," Elena stated. "What receptacle of magic am I not thinking of?"

"I'm gonna give you a hint," Damon offered, as he finally moved from his position, glass in hand. "Scorned lover."

"Katherine?" Elena guessed.

"Older."

"Silas," she countered with more enthusiasm.

"Hotter," Damon corrected.

"I don't know, Silas was definitely hot."

Damon made a "bleh" sound.

"Is listening to this hurting you as much as it hurts me?" Skye muttered to Kai. He didn't look up from his work but released a chuckle.

"Qetsiyah," Elena suddenly burst out with certainty.

Damon clicked his tongue and pointed at her, signaling an affirmative.

"Her blood is on Silas's headstone," Elena explained excitedly. "It's filled with magic."

"Yep," Damon agreed. "So in Bonnie-land, that means that on an island off Nova Scotia, there's a big, magical battery waiting to be tapped. We just need to remind Bonnie of that."

"And what reminded you?" Elena seemed impressed with Damon's deductions but it had Skye figuratively raising an eyebrow.

Damon shrugged noncommittally. "I was gonna plan a trip there, change of scenery, you know. There's only so much you can take of Mystic Falls on repeat..."

"Oh thank god," Kai exclaimed abruptly, pausing in his task, distracting Skye from her musings and gaining the others' attention. He elaborated, "You two together is still totally revolting to me."

Damon's lips curled and he swiped a finger in the air, pointing between Kai and then Skye perched at his side. "Same."

But Skye couldn't find in herself to be amused at their antics. She was still processing their plan.

"Wait a minute," Skye started, uncertain."Doesn't this plan of yours still require Bonnie to do most of the hard work?" At their twin expressions of mystification, Skye stood from the stool and crossed her arms. "I mean, think about it, if we even get her to see the map, she'll still have to travel to an island off the coast of Nova Scotia. By herself. But no big deal-" she shrugged blithely,"-it's just one of the remotest places in the world. Then she'll just have to find the tombstone of an ancient being with magical blood on it - 'cause that's not weird or probably hard to find at all. Then she can harness it all, travel back, and only then be on her merry way back home. Sounds great. I doubt she'll encounter any difficulties." She couldn't help how progressively sarcastic her objections became, but this was getting ridiculous.

"What are you trying to say, P.G.?" Damon asked with disdain, his posture stiff. Elena crossed her arms, her face contorted in dismay. Skye missed the black look Kai sent Damon, too caught up in her own planning.

"I'm saying there are probably easier and faster ways to get her home. What about that spell you tried with Liv?"

"That spell needs a significant celestial event and Bennett blood," Elena said, her voice sounding faint.

"And we happen to be fresh out of both at the moment," Damon said snidely. "Plus we're missing the spell and a certain witchy Goldilocks to perform it. Who I'm guessing is not too keen on her brother at the moment, what with him killing her twin and all in magical ritual that's a little incesty in my opinion."

Skye closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to keep calm, but she opened them in time to spot the guilty expression that overtook Kai's face as he stayed bent over the Ascendant.

"Fine, what about Bonnie's magic? Can we send the bear to her?"

"No," Damon said flatly.

"And why not?" she demanded impatiently.

"Like I'm just gonna serve her up on a silver platter, all ready to be siphoned by a certain psycho witch freak of nature."

"He has a name," Skye snapped. "And so do I, it's Skye. Not P.G. or whatever other asinine thing you think is clever. _Kai _has his own magic now, he doesn't need to siphon hers."

"I don't care. She entrusted it to _me_, and she would kill me if she knew I even let him touch it."

"Fine, let's go with this plan," Skye conceded. "Let's hope that, by chance, she finds the message. That she understands what it means."

Skye threw down the screwdriver and stormed away from the pool table. She was only half-way through the archway when she whirled back around, the purple streamers hanging in the corners of the living room only igniting more ire.

"Oh yeah, it's only customary to throw a birthday party for someone when they're actually able to attend it. This -" she seethed, sweeping her hand out behind her to the table with a cake and presents and the other decorations, "- is all so tacky. You sit here and eat cupcakes and you make out with each other when every minute should have been spent doing everything in your power to help her."

The darkness crossing Damon's feature should've been enough to dissuade Skye from continuing, but she felt like a dam had been broken. And this was the flood.

"_You _don't know anything about us or Bonnie so, if I were you right now, I would shut my mouth," Damon warned contemptuously, with an undercurrent of barely repressed fury, while Elena just shrank away, behind him, seeming like she was unable to handle the criticism.

Being to told to shut her mouth only perversely encouraged Skye more. "I know when she had an opportunity to save you, she did. Pretty effectively, I might add, even after you were a complete dick to her most of the time," she said remembering all the taunts and jabs he'd thrown her way in the Prison World. Well, just the ones she had witnessed personally. "Hell, you all even spent an inordinate amount of effort unsuccessfully trying to rein him in," she said, pointing her finger towards Kai, who had stopped his work on the Ascendant and sat back, watching her rant, with the patient and seemingly unaffected air of someone who had been on the receiving end of many before. "If you had even put half of that energy into rescuing Bonnie, she might be here now to eat her own damn cake." Skye knew she had crossed the line, that she was being sanctimonious and self-righteous, that she had no room to judge others considering her predicament, but she was fuming, frustrated, and tired, and she also knew that these things _needed _to be said by someone."If I were Bonnie, I would be ashamed to call you all my friends," she finished truthfully.

And it was the wrong thing to say.

In the next second, she was rammed into the wall behind her, her head cracking against the edge of a picture frame. Damon's body trapped her, his hands squeezed her neck painfully. She gasped for air as he snarled into her face, allowing her a brief glimpse of the vampire that laid beneath - blood red eyes and blackened veins and sharp canines. _Fangs_. Fangs that quickly began their descent towards her jugular.

But the fangs didn't pierce her flesh because almost as soon as he was on her, he was swept back swiftly by an invisible force and propelled into the opposite wall. Where he stayed motionless, pinned to the wall, sneering back at her and animalistically hissing his displeasure.

Immediately, Skye looked to her left and gaped at what she saw - Kai stood, his posture rigid, one hand raised, palm out, and poised on Damon's stuck figure. His expression one of calm composure, but his jaw was set tight, betraying him.

He pulled his fingers in, forming a claw, and his countenance turned into something more malevolent and possessive, as Damon started letting out choked noises, clutching his hands to his throat.

"Kai," Skye urged.

Kai only clenched his fist tighter in answer, and Damon was slowly beginning to lose color. Kai took several steps towards him, until he was right in the middle, between Damon and Skye.

"Oh, Damon, just when I think you couldn't get any stupider," he laughed, the sound harsh, before his tone became deadly. "Touch her again, and - Luke's empathy be damned - I'll stake you both and leave right now. Or I could just redecorate this room with your entrails. Your choice."

Damon's face was turning a bluish gray now.

* * *

_A/N: Hi...so I a__lmost cut it off at Damon attacking her, but thought that would be too cruel after such a long wait. Wow, almost three months - so sorry about that but March and April were some of the best and worst months of my life. My grandmother, who I was very close to, passed away and then I had to finish up my college education. Last weekend, I graduated with a Bachelor's degree._

_But now that means I'll have time to write again - yay! (in between looking for a job - bleh!). I had to split again - sorry- but the next one will come sooner. _

_The surprise I mentioned had to do with Damon's attack - my surprise came when I realized that Skye couldn't get away with saying these things about Bonnie without Damon attacking her - did I actually surprise anyone with it? Let me know!_

_So thanks to everyone who reviewed last chapter and the people who keeping adding this story to their favorites and follows. _

_Guest 1: Thank you! I'm glad you loved it, even if it was emotional!_

_Lilly2587__: Thanks! Hope you like this chapter too._

_WickedlyMinx: Thanks and here it is! I'm sorry it took so long, but thanks for the understanding. She could get pregnant in the present, she is definitely human, but I don't foresee it happening any time soon, if at all. _

_Annabethchase1500__: Thank you! I hope the surprise was up to par. _

_Nirvana14__: Thanks!_

_Khari: Thank you so much! Skye is depressed - I'd hope I was doing a good job depicting that, but if it's too ambiguous, let me know. I hope this flashback was fun to read too. I like what you said about the periods of civility and seeing how they unravel because Operation Blue Lagoon's outcome has a huge effect on their relationship and explains how it got to the point it was at when Damon and Bonnie arrived in the Prison World. _

_Sbritt264__: Awesome! I think there was some in this chapter and a bunch more instances are definitely on the way._

_YoCupcake__: Thank you and I'm so sorry I haven't reviewed Fascinare and Captive yet - I got super overwhelmed, but expect reviews for me soon for the last two chapters of Fascinare and Captive. _

_I hope the flashback was smutty enough for you, to make up for it, lol. I was happy to deliver it. _

_Funnily enough, I can't really picture Kai as a father, so I don't know how he'd be. I just know he wants one to use it for now. What makes you think he'd make a great dad? I need to take some notes lol._

_I'm definitely still trying to show more conflict regarding Kai's feelings - there's definitely gonna be some more next chapter, and not just with Liv. _

_Thanks for taking the time to say something about Skye too - I love that you like her and get her. You also raised an interesting point - it will definitely be a while before Skye can reconcile the new Kai with the old one, because she relied so much on the old one to be unapologetically himself. That will now be a big part of her conflict. _

_The Kennett club is strong - I loved reading Kennett fics before Kai came around and now I like the competition between them for Bonnie lol. _

_Thank you again! _

_Guest __2: Thank you! I loved your insights - they were spot-on - and I hope you like this chapter. _

_LovelyFandomLover__: Thanks so much! Hope you like this chapter too!_

_ThePhantomismyLove__: Thanks! _

_Sweet Summer Sunset__: Thank you! SPN is definitely in my top five too. My friend writes fanfic for it and she made me a demon in one of her stories, lol. I hoped you like the flashback, and that Kai and Skye's shenanigans in Paris were up to par lol. Skye and Jo will have a reunion soon (6X15), and it will end a bit more positively. Sorry Bonnie's rescue couldn't happen this chapter after all, but it's definitely happening in the next one. Thanks for your insights into Kai and Skye, you understand them really well. Also your observation about the reverse of power - I'm incredibly happy you deduced that. _

_Vasya2016: He's gonna stay alive in this story, I promise!_

_Beloveddreamer__: Lol, thank you! Here's a secret: I'm a huge Bonkai shipper too lol. I wrote a one shot for them, if you're interested. I hope to continue it someday. And I know of at least two other readers who are also Bonkai shippers so it's all good. I hope you like this update! _

_Guest __3: _

_Of course and thank you so much! I hope you like this flashback__ too and the rest of the chapter. I'll have to see how the next few chapters come together before I can ultimately decide when to include the bar fight - but I have now expanded it into an entire sequence because of your enthusiasm for it and I definitely will put it in there. 6x17 might be a good spot for it. However, I don't foresee Kai getting stuck in the 1903 Prison World in this story for reasons ; )_

_LuxSerenity__: Oh my, thank you so much! Hope you like this chapter._

_Guest 4: I haven't! Here's a new chapter, hope you like it! _

_Ookamihime Ichimaru__: Lol, here it is! Sorry for the wait, but thank you! _

_Lastly, I wanted to say something else. I finally received an anonymous hate review for the story. It was inevitable, I'm frankly surprised it hadn't occurred sooner. Anyway, I have something to say to them, even if they won't see it. _

_So to that Guest: There are like 1000 arguments I could make about how you went about your argument the wrong way, but I'll settle for sharing six._

_You're right, this is an awful, problematic story. It does feature an unfavorable portrayal of abuse in a relationship. If you hadn't been anonymous, I would've loved to privately respond back to you, to apologize for upsetting you. However, your argument about abuse lost all credibility when you used abusive language against me in it. _

_I do not condone abuse of any kind in real life. And I struggle each chapter with depicting it - in some cases, possibly romanticizing it. I've even thought about adding A/Ns each chapter explicitly stating it that I don't condone it, but had hoped that my readers would already realize that from the way I was handling it. Maybe I was too presumptuous in that regard, maybe I should be better about my ratings and warnings. But I do give warning, so if you don't like it, then simply don't read it. _

_This is purely a work of fiction. One of the reasons fiction exists is to explore these kinds of themes in a safe and controlled manner. _

_It's funny that it took you 12 chapters to decide the relationship was abusive, when some would say I was clear about that in the opening paragraph. _

_How could you click on a story about Kai Parker, Mystic Fall's resident sociopath and child-murderer, and expect sunshine and rainbows?_

_How could you watch a show like TVD and expect sunshine and rainbows? TVD is a show of extremes and it all relates back to the supernatural. Kai's and Skye's relationship is very extreme and unique - a dynamic that would never exist in real life because witches and Prison Worlds aren't real. However, that does not necessarily mean that the abuse that occurs on the show should be swept under the rug - because it definitely shouldn't. In fact, the show does a good job of doing just that - sweeping the abuse of their characters at the hands of other characters (mostly Damon) under the rug. However, it is not my intention to do that, and I don't think I do. If I'm wrong in stating that, other readers, please let me know. _

_Sorry to all the other lovely reviewers and readers who understand what I'm trying to do with the story and had to read this rant of mine - it is no way meant for you, but I had to get it off my chest._


	18. Chapter 18

Set during and after 6x13, "The Day I Tried to Live"

_It's hard letting go_

_I'm finally at peace but it feels wrong_

_Slow I'm getting up_

_My hands and feet are weaker than before_

_And you are folded on the bed where I rest my head_

_There's nothing I can see, darkness becomes me_  
_There's nothing that I'd take back_

_But it's hard to say there's nothing I regret_

_'Cause when I sing, you shout_

_I breathe out loud_

_You bleed, we crawl like animals_

_But when it's over, I'm still awake_

_A thousand silhouettes dancing on my chest_

_No matter where I sleep, you are haunting me_  
_But I'm already there, I'm already there_

_Wherever there is you, I will be there too_

"Silhouettes" - Of Monsters and Men

**Warning: I just want to take this time to apologize now if I offend any native-Spanish speakers or misrepresent Spanish culture with the content in the flashback, it is really not my intention. Kai is just a very irreverent person.**

Chapter 18 - Wherever There is You...

_May 10, 1994_

"_Oh, they're definitely bigger."_

_It was a phrase Kai had repeated all day as he stared at her chest. This morning when he sat on the bed, watching her dress. This afternoon when they were exploring another centuries old castle - this one __the official home of Spanish royalty in Seville, _Alcázar_. Skye had walked through the courtyard, called _Patio de las Doncellas_ or "The Courtyard of the Maidens," __taking in the rich flora of the sunken gardens, the long, rectangular reflecting pool which bordered them, and the shining marble floor with wonder, and he had gawked some more at her chest. _

_Now, they sat in a restaurant, feasting on a late dinner of paella, generously prepared by his hand. _

_"Stop," Skye reproached half-heartedly, subconsciously lifting a hand to cover her breasts. _

_He didn't stop, his eyes s__till __glued to her ampler bosom._

_They had spent 3 months in Spain, hitting up all the other major cities - Madrid, Ibiza, Majorca, Avila, and Alicante__ -__ but Kai was beginning to suspect a change of scenery was necessary. _

_Soon. _

_"We need to find a pharmacy," Kai said decisively, as he finally glanced away back to her face. _

_"Yes, let's find a pharmacy," Skye agreed readily, shoving another forkful of rice into her mouth. She took a long moment to chew and swallow, before adding sanctimoniously__,__ "So I can prove you're wrong."_

_He snorted, disdainfully. "Please, I think that lovely display just now made my case for me."_

_Skye rolled her eyes. "I'm not. There's no way." To drive home her assertion, she reached for his wineglass, but he snatched it up before her fingertips could even graze it. _

_He downed in two gulps and then tossed the glass over his shoulder. It shattered behind him, against the tiled floor. _

_Skye didn't even flinch at the sound. Instead, she gave him __her best __unamused look._

_In answer, he smirked and nudged her water glass closer to her. _

_The look worsened - became something more venomous. That look often went straight to his groin, but he ignored it in favor of his __perplexity__. _

_He didn't understand why she had started to believe in the impossibility of their goal again. Well, maybe she never had and was just humoring him and their arrangement. Nevertheless, it was aggravating, especially when he had to play the alcohol police._

_"Nice, deprive me. It's fine. Unfair, but fine." _

_"You don't even like red." _

_"It's still cruel of you to drink it in front of me," she bit out. _

_He felt his smirk widen, imagining that he probably resembled the Grinch. _

_"Great, the evil smile makes its appearance," she muttered. "I'm done." She dropped her napkin on her half-finished plate and made her way to the exit, carefully picking over the glass in her flip flops. Kai picked up his plate and fork and followed after her. _

_He shoveled more food in his mouth as she traversed the sidewalks, peering in windows of the buildings they passed. _

_She shot a cross look back at him. "Can you at least try to be helpful?"_

_"Everything's in Spanish," he defended. "And I'm sorry, but my one semester of Spanish isn't going to cut it. Just like your two semesters of French didn't really help in France."_

_She turned a corner and as he did too, a sign caught his eye from the opposite street corner. It had a picture of a cross, similar to the red__, medical cross of pharmacies from home, __but it was green. The words __beside the cross on the __sign read, "Farmacia."_

_"Hey," he said through a mouthful, tipping his head t__owards the building__. "I think th__at__ might be it."_

_She __spun around__ and scanned the building, her eyes going lingering on the sign. "You couldn't remember that was the Spanish world for '__pharmacy__'? Really?" she asked as she took off across the road. He trailed her at a leisurely pace, stuffing the last of his paella in his mouth. _

_She peeked through the large window. "I spot pill bottles and sanitary items. Yeah, I think it's the right place," she finished, acid dripping from her words._

_"Cool," he drawled. He balanced his empty plate on the windowsill, setting his fork on top. _

_She reached for the knob and twisted it, but the door didn't budge. _

_"Great," she sighed. She stepped aside, motioning to him in "have at it" way. _

_Bringing his fingers to his chin in an exaggerated display, he considered his options, surveyed the glass inlaid in the door. _

_There were several wrought-iron patio chairs across the street at the cantina they'd passed. _

_Plus he liked the shirt he was wearing today__ \- it was a soccer jersey, promoting Spain's national team. Excuse him, football jersey. _

_He walked across the street and retrieved a chair. It was heavier than it looked, and he supposed that was perfect. _

_He launched it at the window, with a bit of an awkward trajectory. But it did the trick. It shattered inward, spraying the inside with bits of glass. But the plate stayed. _Nice_. _

_He stepped over the ledge, glass crunching under his feet. Skye __came__ after him, scowling as she hesitantly placed her foot down on the glass-covered floor. _

_"You know, I was hoping you'd pick the door. Less glass, less mess. Less potential to hurt myself. But no."_

_She usually didn't mind his chosen method for defeating locked door, or as she referred to it, his affinity for general destruction. He __dubbed__ it his daily sublimation._

_"The door would've messed up my hand," he argued. _

_"That's why you wrap your hand in your shirt," she reminded. _

_"I like this shirt - I'm not ruining it. You can punch through the door next time."_

_"Oh, I'm so sorry. I didn't realize your shirt was at risk..." she gushed sarcastically, walking away. She began browsing the shelves. _

_Most times, it was easy for Kai to follow Skye's stipulations, especially when sex was the reward. But times like these, when Skye acted against her best interests and drove him past his patient, tested his resolve not to hurt her. Because just a little bit, he told himself, would be enough to remind her that they had an objective and that she needed to be cooperative. _

_6 months was their usual record before he would snap. They were fast approaching their 6 month mark into the arrangement._

_"Wait a minute, won't the test be in Spanish too?" he asked to divert his thoughts._

_"I guess unless we find one that's not," she said. "What's the Spanish word for pregnant?"_

_"_Embarazada_ \- I remember that 'cause how embarrassing would it be if you forgot how to you were embarrassed in Spanish and tried to say it like that." He snickered. "So much confusion and hilarity would ensue."_

_She rolled her eyes - he didn't even need to see her face to know that. _

_A moment later, she called out from the farthest aisle away from him. "I think I found it."_

_He immediately made h__is__ way to her as she __straightened__, a rectangular package in hand. _

_He crowded her back as they walked to the corner of the store, where a sign advertised the location of the "__baño__."_

_"Excuse me," Skye said, quickly __turning to__ him. "You've never seen me use the bathroom, and I'd like to keep that mystery alive, thanks," She braced herself against the door, effectively blocking him before ducking in. She shut it swiftly behind her, before he could stick his foo__t__ in, and he heard the lock click right after._

_"Damn it, Skye," he muttered against the wood. _

_He pulled away and walked to the stand up coolers in the back. He grabbed a or__ange __Kas and started perused the snack aisle._

_When he heard the toilet flush, he booked it back to the corner. He tried the knob first, found it still locked, and was consider__ing__ using the fire extinguisher to knock it off when Skye opened the door. _

_He rushed in, impatient for the results. _

_"I think we have to wait a few minutes," she told him, __inclining her head over to the white stick__ as it sat on the ledge of the sink. _

_He walked towards it while she sat on the toilet lid and consulted the directions. _

_"What are we looking for?"_

_She __squinted__ down at the paper. "__We have to see if a second line appears__ after three minutes."_

_"You're reading Spanish?"_

_"No, some symbols are just pretty universal__, Kai.__"_

_T__he rest of the three minutes were spent in silence and __excruciating__, even in the Prison World where time had lost all meaning to him. These particular three minutes held all the meaning in the world - because they would make or break them. _

_Finally, she glanced at the clock on the wall and then nodded to him._

_He picked it up, with bated breath. Then breathed in, relieved. _

_"It's positive," he told her, his lips spreading into a wide, vindictive grin as he observed the __two blue lines__._

_She paled, so fast he thought she might have transformed into a ghost. "What?"_

_She moved forward and snatched the stick from his grip. Her eyes widened and she dropped it into the sink. She ordered him, "Go get another one."_

* * *

_7 tests later, Skye was having trouble producing pee. He leaned against the wall outside, his hands in his pockets._

_He heard her muttering and grunting, almost sounding like at times she was going to start crying._

_He rolled his eyes at her dramatics. He spoke loudly to be heard through the door, "Maybe you should stop and accept reality, babe."_

_"The last one was negative," she half-yelled back. _

_"Because you've washed out your pee with all the water you've drank," he said calmly. "And because there is such a thing as a false negative."_

_"There are also such things as false positives."_

_"Not six of them."_

_He heard the toilet flush again and then the sink run. A second later, she was pushing open the door again, looking haggard, and glaring at him. He imagined that was the same expression he'd see on the day of the delivery too. _

_"Look on the bright side, babe," he offered blithely. "Now, I really can't hurt you." _

_She only gave him a mulish look then walked away, headed for the door._

"_Don't forget to grab some prenatal vitamins," he called after her._

_She flipped him off. _

* * *

_Seattle was a lie._

_Or at least it had been, when he had first come up with it. A red herring, a scheme to mislead Skye. To convince her he was committed to her ambitions when, in reality, his had been the only ones driving him. Merging and becoming the leader of the Gemini had been his priorities; he had just been biding his time with Skye until his father allowed him to claim his birthright. But then when he considered the bigger picture, when he realized he would need someone he could stand long enough to procreate with - only to maintain his control of the coven over time, of course - he decided Skye would make a good candidate for that too. She had just been about to finish up her education, and he had still found her extremely attractive, had actually developed some sort of weird possessiveness of her that reminded him a bit of his soft spot for Jo, although the inclinations it incited in him were much different__ -__ about as unbrotherly as it came. _

_Plus, she had loved him. He knew it, had seen it shining in her eyes in those times when she would stare at him with something like wonder, whether she knew he was aware of it or not, her smile so wide he knew her jaw had to ache from keeping it in place. Back when she had been more unguarded against him. _

_And it had been rather disconcerting at the time - to realize that she could carry such a depth of feeling for him. For _him _\- the abomination who was using her, who didn't return the pure sentiments she held for him, only exercised his right to be selfish any point he could. _

_He'd be lying if he said he hadn't contemplated what would've happened that fateful night if he had just walked away with her, forgoing the bloodshed and actually pursuing those false plans he had suggested. _

_But she hadn't looked at him like that since they had gotten locked up, not even on their best days. _

_Speaking of, judging from today, he guessed the old fertility spell he had found in the Desneux grimoire worked. The magic he'd siphoned from __the __golden ritual goblet __had drained away the next day, however, when they were leaving France. _

_But it didn't matter because here they were knocked up and only after 6 months of trying._

_As they __traveled back __to__ their __villa that night, he yearned to tell her, how his real plans had inadvertently come to fruition. And he wasn't sure why he felt so urgent about it - the information rising up, resting on the tip of his tongue any time he looked at her, with the knowledge in the back of his mind that soon her belly would balloon with _his _hopefully magical child filling it. _

_He approached her from behind while she was making a cup of tea and decided the direct approach was the best. His tone __casual__, he began, "We were never really going to go to Seattle, you know."_

_She glanced at him over her shoulder. "What?" she said, caught off guard. _

_Her spoon clinked against the rim of the mug as she swirled it around, mixing sugar into her tea._

_Gritting his teeth, he hoped she would catch up to speed soon. "__I was supposed to merge, you were going to be my consort, so that I could've produced heirs. We were supposed to live in that house. So I could take all control of the coven away from him.__"_

_Halfway through his statement, the spoon stopped clinking and, slowly, she had faced him and leaned against the counter, looking stunned and like she needed the support._

_She finally met his eyes, hers wide. "What the fuck, Kai?"_

"_I just wanted you to know. And let me tell you," he said with fake gusto. "It feels so good to get it out - it was eating me alive for years." _

_She still seemed to be digesting the information, her eyes now glued to the floor, and ignoring his antics, which she usually would've been more reactive to. _

_"__So __I was supposed to be what again?__" she asked.__"__Your baby factory?" The lat__ter was said with more derision. _

_"As coven leader, my ancestors would've blessed us with twins on the first try. Like they did my father and every leader before him. One pregnancy. Wam, bam, one and done - all that jazz."_

_She could only regard him, dumbfounded._

_"And then what? I would've had to raise two kids and love them, only for one to get slaughtered in some barbaric ritual at age 22?" _

_He shrugged. _

_"Did you even know me at all?" she demanded. "Seriously? Did it ever occur to you how much I would've hated that? Not just rearing children for slaughter, or even wanting children for that matter, but marrying you at a young age, especially after I found out about all that witch stuff?" _

_"You would've been fine," he said dismissively, ._

_"If I even allowed it to happen, _I would've _resented you. I would've left," Skye told him, her voice rising in pitch. "Or I would've taken them and left."_

_Familiar anger flared up - white hot and chaotic - in his gut. _

_"You wouldn't have had a choice. Like __a__t all." Kai said lowly as he crossed his arms. There was no hiding the ominous tone __of his voice__. _

_The veiled threat pulled Skye up short, her jaw dropping. Involuntarily, he felt the corners of mouth curving up into a smirk. _

_She stared at him, her mouth slightly open for a long moment before she looked away. Kai saw her throat work as she swallowed. _

_Then she let out a sound that seemed like it was a cross between a snort and scoff. "I guess, in a way, you got what you wanted." She lifted her eyes back to his, hers now steely, glinting with hostilit__y__. "Like usual." Her hand came up to rest on her still flat stomach - an action he knew would become a habit for the next several months. S__eemed like she was finally on the road towards acceptance. __ "The sad part is I can't even be mad about it because now I finally have something to look forward to for the first time in over a decade." Th__e __statement confirmed his thought, and he was darkly pleased._

_She went to brush past him, but he moved quickly, grabbing her wrist to halt her. She froze. _

_A part of him felt discomfited by their exchange, but he couldn't exactly pinpoint why. He just didn't want to let her leave, thinking that her role in his life hadn't been mandatory. Because it had been, because it _still was_, for complex reasons he himself had yet to fully understand. _

_He brought her wrist to his chest, pulled her aga__inst__ him, putting his mouth right next to her ear. "I always knew you'd make a great mom. Not like June Cleaver or anything but good enough to not completely damage them." _

_He had watched the way she was around her nephew. She had been patient and calm even while she was visibly frustrated by the kid's __shenanigans__. Skye was warm while his mom had been cold. Skye was tough but fair whereas his mom had been partial and too weak-willed against his father. _

_"It's not me I'm worried about," Skye responded, her voice tremulous. _

* * *

"Kai, stop," Skye tried again hoarsely, striving to be more commanding and less pleading. She finally shifted her eyes from him for a moment, and she saw Elena standing behind him, her eyes wide with panic, wringing her hands helplessly.

"Stop, please," the female vampire begged, stepping forward. Kai didn't react, and Damon's eyes rolled back into his head, his head lolling forward.

"Kai!" Skye yelled, the force of exclamation tearing at her already sore throat.

Kai released Damon suddenly, dropping his hand. Damon doubled over and gasped in a breath, his face regaining its normal color. After a minute, he was back to normal and snarling at the both of them, looking ready to charge them, but Elena stepped forward quickly, putting herself between them. "Stop," she ordered. Her intervention was ignored by the vampire.

Livid, straining against her, he spat, "Funny that _you're _accusing _us _of wasting our time on Kai." His eyes pierced her over Elena's shoulder, filled with loathing. "I wouldn't have ever pegged you as his biggest fangirl, but I guess I was wrong. And that kinda makes this whole defending Bonnie thing ironic. And hypocritical."

"Defending Bonnie has nothing to do with Kai," Skye countered as Kai stepped back away from Damon, moving closer to her.

"He _hurt _her," Damon told her, his tone softening but his features still twisted with fury.

"She hurt him too. First, actually."

"No, he had siphoned her twice before she pickaxed him. Did you forget that 'cause I distinctly remember you having a front-row seat both times?" Damon snapped back, his teeth bared and nostrils flared.

Oh right - how could she have forgotten about that? First in the kitchen, and then in the clearing in the forest. The ferocity of Kai's face. The pain on Bonnie's. The muddled but strong feelings of resentment and helplessness.

Instantly, Skye felt the burn of shame and embarrassment. Her head got cloudy and her cheeks warmed. "And we're not even talking about the stuff he did to her after I left," Damon added, sneering at the "he" in question, who sneered right back.

"What he did to both of us," Skye reminded quietly.

Kai stiffened and Skye saw from the corner of her eye - the sneer fell away, the relatively new but slowly becoming familiar guilty expression taking its place.

"Oh really? Where were you when he stabbed her and left her for dead?" Damon asked. "'Oh right - she told us you weren't there for that."

No, but she had caught sight of the cringed as she remembered that image all too clearly. Bonnie and her blossoming bloodstain from a new stab wound courtesy of Kai. Her laying prone on the grass.

Skye brought her hands up to her face, rubbed her fingers vigorously against her eyes. The action temporarily rendered her vision black, and she tried to concentrate on that.

"That's enough," Elena cut in shakily. "We've all hurt each other. There's a long line of pain and suffering. But all this bickering isn't helping Bonnie. It's just taking time away from it." Damon finally focused on her "We all need to take a moment to ourselves, to calm down. Come on, Damon." She pulled on his sleeve, leading him towards the doorway.

Skye felt them leave, taking the tense atmosphere with them. She slumped against the wall behind her.

After a moment, she felt another's hands on her. Kai's...she hoped, since she still had her eyes clenched shut, willing away unwanted images. He moved her hands away, replacing them with his, cupping her cheeks. And, despite herself, she leaned into his touch, and exhaled a breath that sounded too shaky.

"Skye," Kai said her name softly. She only relaxed more and breathed in the scent lingering on his palms, it reminded her of coins - metallic from handling the metal Ascendant pieces.

" I - I don't like this," she heard next, his tone hesitant. And her eyes snapped open. She glanced up sharply but found, to her horror, his features were blurry to her.

"Oh, god," she muttered.

She was trying to suppress the emotions that were causing her eyes to well up, but she really couldn't get a handle on it - the guilt, the grief, the fear, and the adrenaline from the altercation.

She blinked rapidly to clear her vision, but only felt a traitor tear leave the corner of her eye. Kai awkwardly reached to wipe it away with his thumb, looking entirely unsure and even a little bit disturbed about the action. Then his words caught up with her. "What?"

"This...you like this, I - I feel bad," he said, with an incredulous laugh, the last part coming out almost like a question. "I don't know what to do," he admitted finally, after a long a minute of her pointed, befuddled staring.

"You're doing fine," she whispered. How ironic was it that she had to reassure him about his reassuring? Maybe it was just sad.

That's when his hands grasped her arms, and he pulled her forward into his embrace slowly and tentatively, one hand coming up to cradle her head against his shoulder while his opposite arm circled her waist.

She leaned in again, wrapping her arms around his middle, resting her hands on his back, allowing herself just a moment of his awkward comfort.

The embrace gave her a sense of deja vu, as her mind traveled back briefly to the dream she had weeks ago.

Except that Kai had squeezed her so tightly she couldn't breathe and this one was treating her like she might shatter if he squeezed at all, his embrace stiff and tenuous.

The longer he held her however, the more she realized that Kai was trembling - it had started hardly noticeable at first but it was getting more so, the force of it nearly wracking his body.

"Why are you shaking?" she asked him, mystified.

He let out a chuckle - this one sounding manic. "I wanna kill him," he said steadily, cold fury stark in his voice.

She shivered, the hairs on the back of her neck standing on end.

_He was quaking with rage._

Her instincts engaged, prompting to her to try and back away from him, her hands reaching to pull at his arms.

"Don't," he said quickly, tightening his hold on her exponentially. She froze. "I-Just...please." That desperation was back in his tone, right in her ear; it reminded her of his apology. How it hadn't done anything to diminish the simmering resentment ever present inside her. How she had decided to assuage him instead, telling him it was okay when it definitely wasn't just so he would stop saying that stupid word that held no meaning to her anymore.

He breathed out heavily. "You're all that's stopping me from hunting down the nearest sharpest wooden object right now."

Skye dropped her arms, despite her better judgement. She returned them to their original position and leaned against him again.

Kai sighed, the sound light and too easily expressing something akin to relief.

His fingers threaded in her hair, then roughly prodded the tender spot where her head had cracked against the picture frame.

She winced.

"You have a knot," he told her.

_No shit, _she thought, but suppressed the urge to say it aloud, the subtle undercurrent of concern in his voice rendering her momentarily reticent_._

His fingers moved down, brushed against her throat. She wondered if it would bruise. She hated the idea of another mark on her skin, especially one that didn't belong to him, then cursed herself for thinking like that.

A beat later, she mumbled into his shoulder,"You can't kill him."

A huff, full of frustration, escaped him. "I know."

"What the hell are you two doing here? Where's Elena and Damon?"

Skye pulled back, Kai allowing her to this time, and turned to see Jeremy standing in the archway.

Kai only gave him a shark grin. "Hi."

Skye had just one thought: _Great, one more person who should give a shit about Bonnie and yet doesn't. _

* * *

Damon and Elena were back in the room, except they had switched places. Damon had taken Elena's spot against the wall opposite them, trusty bourbon in hand, his petulance clear on his face as he regarded them. Elena now stood by the bar, which meant she was unnecessarily hovering over Kai's and Skye's shoulders as they recommenced their work on the Ascendant. Well, Kai recommenced his work, bowed low over the pool table. Skye just handed him a new tool when appropriate, alternating between the tweezers and a small flat head screwdriver, and tried to ignore the vampires and the lingering tension between them all.

Jeremy was their newest addition, standing at the center of it all, complaining, "People don't just change like that."

Skye resisted an eye-roll. The boy lived with a bunch of vampires and had dated a witch, but this - the Merge's effect on Kai - was unfathomable to him?

"People usually don't merge with their siblings either," Damon said, swigging his bourbon.

"Uh, for the record," Kai interjected, raising up to face them. "I would've been fine with any of Luke's qualities. You know, the hair, the whole gay thing - you know, maybe not the height actually."

"I would love to see you gay," Skye muttered, with just enough longing to receive a scowl from Kai.

"You seriously buy this?" Jeremy demanded of Elena.

"Look, I'm not saying that we have to like him," Elena said. "But if there's a way for us to tell Bonnie how she can get out-"

"We should trust the guy who changed personalities overnight? Plus the chick that turned on us once already?" Jeremy interrupted.

"_Skye _might actually have more loyalty to Bonnie than you three put together," Kai chimed in again. However, his gaze was downcast this time and looking oddly thoughtful. Skye could detect, though she was certain it was unbeknownst to the rest, a bit of that jealous tone laced within his statement. Only it seemed less tinged with violence now and more melancholic, regretful. It stirred something in her - a niggling need to reassure or deny or press her leg closer to his, but she stamped down the impulsive urge as the tension in the room became thicker.

Skye practically felt their hackles rise in objection to his claim, all their mouths opening defensively. Kai put a hand up, waving it dismissively, halting what was most likely going to be another argument. "As for me, think of it like Elena in reverse," Kai told Jeremy, rising up from his stool. He bypassed Elena on his way to the bar, and she tilted her head curiously at his words. Kai grabbed a tumbler and the crystal container that held the amber liquid and began to explain, "You know, she was human, pure, dating the good Salvatore." He poured bourbon in the glass while Elena shuffled awkwardly next him. "Then she became an undead blood vacuum -" while he spoke, he offered the glass to Skye. Partially amused, she accepted it graciously, immediately taking a big gulp. The burn was welcome again her tender throat. He turned back for another glass and filled it for himself. "-stopped caring about right and wrong, and started dating the bad one."

"That's not how it happened," Elena objected calmly as Kai took a sip of his drink.

"Mhh, I'm sure I missed a detail or two," Kai conceded as he returned to his seat. "But I'm just paraphrasing what Damon told me in the Prison World."

Skye repressed the laugh that threatened to escape her - at his nonchalance while he attacked Elena's character. She didn't realize they were working as a tag team today against the vampire couple.

"Speaking of," Damon said, standing straight, twirling his now empty glass in his hand. "There's a witch over there we'd like to save, despite your little girlfriend's insinuations. So why don't you get your Gemini jumper cables and finally fix that thing?"

Kai turned his smug smile away from Jeremy, who still regarded him distrustfully, and glanced at Damon. "Okay," he agreed easily, bending back down over his work space.

He worked on reattachment for a few more minutes, only pausing to trade instruments with Skye, who had her chin propped up in her hand on the edge of the table, nursing her drink, steadfastly avoiding the eyes of the others in the room. She didn't want to see the accusation there.

They seemed content with pacing around, casting each other impatient looks.

Finally, Damon approached the pool table. "Come on, Kai. Are you done yet?"

Kai threw down the screwdriver, exasperation coloring his words. "You know this would go a lot faster if I didn't have an audience of hostile vampires and what I can only assume is a 'roid monster. So skedaddle and then I can finish. It shouldn't take me much longer."

Damon threw looks to the other two, them appearing reluctant to leave, but something in Damon's expression made them obey Kai's request. The siblings filed out begrudgingly, Damon on their heels with one last threatening glance back at them.

Skye started up from her stool too, but Kai's grip on her wrist stopped her. "I still need my lovely assistant, babe."

She sat back down and watched, silent, as he reattached the last stray piece with the tweezers.

Skye picked up and held out the screwdriver, already expecting his move. He grabbed it and extended the tweezers to her with his other hand. She took them from him and placed them back in the kit.

She waited until he stopped working to address her burning question.

"Kai?"

"Hmm?" he asked, absent-mindedly, gingerly picking up the newly reassembled Ascendant. He leaned back on his stool, examining the artifact as he cradled it in his hand.

"Do you really believe that?" she asked tentatively.

"What?" He still hadn't taken his eyes off the Ascendant as he adjusted a gear.

"What you said - that I have more loyalty towards Bonnie than they do."

"So much loyalty it drove me insane. Well, insaner." He paused and looked up at her finally, his face scrunched up in thought. "Wait, it that a word?"

She shrugged, and he dismissed it, turning back to the Ascendant. She studied him, her brow furrowing, indecision weighing on her.

She opened her mouth."But I don't see it as being loyal to her. I see it as doing the right thing."

Kai's hands stilled and he peered up at her again, narrowing his eyes. He was silent, and she felt exposed under his scrutiny.

"She should've never been stuck there, Kai," Skye elaborated as the silence became prolonged. "The least we could do is get her back out."

Slowly, he seemed to accept her words, nodding in agreement, before he stated, "Seems like we're the only ones doing any of the work anyway. They're just pacing around, being general annoyances."

"Tell me about it." She drained the rest of the bourbon in her glass.

* * *

Kai wound the gears manually as Skye stood next to him in the living room, surveying the others. They looked grimly determined - not nervous like she was. She supposed they were more accustomed to this witch business than she was.

"So I can't send us back physically, but I could probably send a part of us back," Kai explained.

"Probably?" Elena questioned.

"You remember that movie _Ghost_? Well, Bonnie's gonna be Demi Moore, since she's the alive one obviously, and we'll all be a collective Patrick Swayze," Kai said, smiling. "Like _Ghost_. Oh, by the way, how much does that suck? About Patrick Swayze..."

Skye grew alarmed. "What about him?"

Kai glanced at her sharply, his expression one of regret, like he'd forgotten she was there.

"He died," Damon said indelicately, only smirking back when Kai gave him a blazing look.

"But he wasn't that old," she protested. Mentally, Skye tried to do the math. He'd had only been twenty years older than her, if she remembered correctly. That would put him at around sixty. Not nearly old enough to die of old age."What happened?"

Kai moved to stand in front of her her, frowning. "He had pancreatic cancer, babe," he said softly. "It was a few years ago."

He didn't even have time to reach sixty?

Dejection settled over her, Skye felt her mood dampen more, if were possible - how come people like Damon could become vampires and survive for centuries but people like Patrick Swayze had to get cancer and die relatively young? It was just wrong.

Meanwhile, Kai cajoled, "I know he was your favorite, but you should look on the bright side: my only competition is out of commission." At her look of dismay, he backpedaled, "Okay, so maybe that's my bright side."

"Will she be able to see us or not, Kai?" Elena demanded, attempting to get them back on track.

Pivoting, Kai wore an excited smile. "I don't know, I've never done this before," he admitted gleefully.

The determination faded from their posture, something more like tense worry taking its place.

Kai calmed, shaking out his limbs, back to business. "So let's just all take a deep breathe, right? Close our eyes," he instructed. Skye followed suit.

"And _phasmatos tribum, invocia cavea, misero mundi_,"Kai chanted.

As he recited the spell, his fingers brushed against hers until he interlaced them, bringing their hands together. Skye was glad the other's eyes were closed and therefore weren't witnessing the sight. A petty part of wanted to rip her hand from his grasp, but another part of her - the part that had accepted his comfort before- prevented it.

Skye was distracted from her train of thought as she felt a strong wind blow across her face when Kai repeated the incantation. A weird sensation swept through her - half- flush, half-chill - and then her stomach flipped.

She opened her eyes to see everyone with theirs open too, scanning their surroundings.

"What happened to the pool table?" Damon was the first to speak.

They all looked to the room where the pool table had resided. In it's place was the ornate Gothic dining table Skye remembered from 1994.

"Oh my god," Elena said.

Just then, Bonnie appeared next to the table, carrying something in her hands, her attention focused entirely on the object.

She sat in one of the plush chairs that faced away from them and Elena and Jeremy rushed to her, Jeremy uttering her name in the most hopeful tone Skye had ever heard. She was quick to try and follow them, but Kai's hand, still locked with hers, held her back.

Quickly, she threw him a baffled look. He only squeezed her hand tighter and shook his head.

"Bonnie," Jeremy tried again, more loudly, as he reached her, standing behind the chair Bonnie occupied. As far as Skye could tell from her limited view, Bonnie still had her back turned to them, her arms moving as she presumably fiddled with something on the table.

"She can't hear me," Jeremy realized.

Across from Kai and Skye, Damon tried to pick up the bourbon decanter from the table behind the couch. His hand went right through, as if he were a ghost." And we can't touch anything either," Damon informed, giving Kai an accusatory glance.

Skye saw the clear mystification that crossed Kai's features.

"Nice spell, Kai," Damon snipped.

"Are you deaf?" Skye asked, irritated. "Kai literally just said five seconds ago it was gonna be like _Ghost_. Have you actually seen _Ghost_? He couldn't touch anything or be heard either." The words were involuntary, raising up out of her like vomit. It seemed like her new-found ability to defend Kai would become a habit around the contentious, dick-head vampire.

"I liked you better when you were quiet," Damon told her sweetly with a mocking smile.

A second later, he clutched a hand to his forehead and groaned. The abrupt pain seemed to last for only a few seconds, however, because then he was right back to glowering at them with renewed hostility.

"Oops," Kai said, chortling. "I think I had the equivalent of a magical sneeze just then. They're hard to control, you should watch out, Damon." The threat was veiled with playfulness, but it was still a threat, one Damon seemed to receive loud and clear as he narrowed his eyes at Kai.

Suddenly, Damon's voice rang out again - this time sounding more far away and distorted - while the vampire's mouth remained unmoving. "This place is my own personal hell..."

Luckily, Damon's attention was directed to the latest development as he walked towards the others. Skye and Kai hung back, Skye feeling her bemusement skyrocket since she couldn't see what the witch was holding.

Finally, she heard Bonnie, the witch's voice sounding fond and amused. "Drama queen."

"Hey," real Damon objected.

Then there was Bonnie's voice again, but now sounding more like Damon's had before, when he said something out of context. "Reporting to you live from retro world..."

Skye had figured out by then that it was some type of recording device Bonnie was playing back. She only wished she could get closer and determine what kind, but a certain male witch refused to budge from his spot or release his grip, no matter how hard she yanked on his hand or tried to pull hers away.

Mechanical beeps played, drawing Skye's attention back to the group. Bonnie reached for something across the table.

"No," Damon breathed.

"What?" Elena questioned.

Skye heard liquid being poured into a glass.

"That bottle of bourbon is the oldest one in the house," Damon informed her. "We made a pact if we couldn't take being trapped here alone for one more day, we'd kill that entire bottle...then we'd kill ourselves."

Skye didn't even have a second to feel alarm at Damon's ominous declaration as she felt a sudden rush again - that sensation she'd had during the beginning of the spell - and she closed her eyes instinctively, her stomach lurching for a second time.

Next thing she knew, she was on the floor.

She heard Elena gasp, and she sat up. The others were sprawled out in various places. Their bewildered faces matching her own as their gazes darted around.

They were back where they started, in the living room with no Bonnie or dining room table in sight.

"Wait, what happened? Why are we back here?" Elena asked frantically.

Feeling similar panic, Skye looked to Kai, who brought his fingers to his nose. He pulled them away to examine them - blood shined from their tips. Her panic worsened. Skye shot up to her feet, and the others followed her example, albeit more slowly.

Skye approached Kai cautiously, careful not to trod on his limbs, as he said, "I don't know. The spell must require too much magic."

She grabbed one of his forearms and helped him to his feet. He explained further, "I lost my connection."

"Then reconnect," Damon suggested.

"It's not that easy," Kai denied. Then he waved a finger at his own face. "You see this blood? Guessing that's not a good sign." He brought his hand up again to wipe at the blood.

"Bonnie is going to kill herself," Elena said, rather dramatically. But the statement reminded Skye of their situation's urgency.

"Can she do that? Can she die in the Prison World?" Jeremy inquired.

"We couldn't. 'Course it was our own personal solitary confinement. They didn't want us to end our sentence early by killing ourselves. Oh, we tried every method in the book. Do you remember, babe?" he asked, turning to Skye, who shook her head minutely, signaling him to stop, that now was not the time. But he kept on obliviously, "That one time we drove down to D.C.?" He turned back to them. "'Cause there was this museum that has an actual guillotine-"  
"We get it," Jeremy broke in forcefully. "Whoever is not lucky enough to be you guys, dead means dead."

"We have to stop her, we have to give her hope, send her a message somehow," Elena said, as Kai started towards the couch, seeming slightly unsteady. Skye followed after him, a hand hovering out unconsciously.

"How?" Jeremy asked. "She couldn't hear us."

"The message is already there," Damon piped up.

Kai sat, turning and propping his legs on the couch, and after she was assured that he was stable, she went to the table in the corner that held all of Bonnie's birthday party supplies and fetched a napkin.

"It's in the atlas," Damon continued. "I scribbled some notes on Nova Scotia. We just have to get her to see it."

"How do we open an atlas if we can't even touch anything?" Elena quizzed.

Skye walked back to Kai's side and handed the napkin to him. He was slow to accept it, and she registered something like surprise on his face before it transformed to something resembling gratitude - all the expressions foreign to her from Kai. He wiped away most of the excess, and they both returned their gazes back to the other's strategizing.

"We just need Kai to crank up his witchy woo, don't we?" Damon said, coming forward menacingly. "So we can make physical contact."

Skye watched him closely, ready to snap at him if she needed to. Kai only smirked, unfazed, at him. "All while sending the three of you back over there? Sure, yeah," Kai agreed sarcastically. He glanced to Elena and Jeremy behind him. "Hey, why don't I reanimate your dead parents for a tea party while I'm at it?"

Elena blanched.

"Unnecessary, Kai," Skye chided, looking at her feet.

"Sorry," Kai said gravely. "Insensitive."

"What if you just send me back?" Jeremy interjected.

"What? No," Elena protested, whirling around to face him.

"That might work," Kai said. "Focus all of my magic on one person. It might be enough of a boast that he could physically interact... if I can hold the spell."

Skye was unsettled by Kai's crack in confidence and the red splotch still lingering under one nostril. Overwhelmed by the need to do _something _beside stand by idly, she snatched the napkin from his hand, bent over him, and dabbed at the remaining blood. She focused on the task, on his skin, and ignored Kai's eyes, dark and intent, on her.

"And if you cannot?" Damon gritted out.

Kai sighed, his warm breath fanning her skin. "If the magic overwhelms me, then I can't pull Jeremy out. He'd be stuck over there for eternity." Skye stilled in her actions and she met his eyes, which bored into hers, the gray-blue as grim as the implication of his words. What he wasn't saying...the truth he was skirting - explicitly what would happen to him if his magic overwhelmed him. Judging by the blood, strain on his magic meant strain on his body. And if he overdid it with his magic, then that meant his body would suffer accordingly.

In the background, Skye vaguely heard Elena's plea, "Jer..."

"Don't," Jeremy instantly argued, "Don't say anything. If I can get through to her, then we save Bonnie's life. If not, at least I'll be with her when she dies."

Skye couldn't even be glad about Jeremy's dedication to save Bonnie as she removed the last of Kai's blood from his face and pulled her hand back. She dropped onto the couch beside him, twisted the bloodied napkin in her hands.

* * *

Five minutes later, Kai had assumed a meditative pose on a settee they had dragged in from another room and situated opposite of the fire, the Ascendant in hand. Skye remained in the same spot, in the middle of the couch, with her head tipped back.

Jeremy sat on the couch across from while the other two stood in the middle. Jeremy nodded at Kai, his face solemn, and Kai nodded back.

Jeremy laid back, resting his back against the armrest, as Kai took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and started the spell again, "_Phasmatos tribum, invocia cavea, misero mundi_."

He kept repeating the incantation - a rapid continuous stream of Latin words that was almost soothing in its melodic nature.

She watched as drops of sweat started collecting on his brow.

Damon and Elena as they began a conversation, but she didn't listen. Instead, she focused on the sounds of the foreign language leaving Kai's mouth.

Soon, he began pausing in between phrases, taking even deeper breaths, his face now glistening with sweat.

Guilt stabbed at her gut - she hadn't known that using his magic would affect him so physically.

Damon and Elena left the room, and she relaxed into the cushions, relieved to be rid of their presence, if only momentarily.

The candles, resting in the candelabras in the corner, were erratic - their flames shooting up and flickering wildly.

The Salvatore's couches were too plush, too comfortable, and her eyes drifted shut.

Minutes later, a gurgley gasp and a squelching sound had Skye's eyes snapping open.

Liv stood behind Kai, jerking a fire poker out of his back. A bright red patch sprouted on his white shirt and spread quickly while he sat with his hands out helplessly, shocked.

Skye's heart stopped and she was stupefied for a second, panic overcoming her as Kai clutched a hand to his wound and started tipping to the side.

She jumped to her feet just as Jeremy shouted, "No! What are you _doing_?"

Liv waved both of her arms and then they were all flying.

Skye slammed backwards in the wall behind her and then fell, coming down hard on her legs.

Her ankle rolled, in the wrong direction, and she landed on her side, hissing.

Pain paralyzed her for a moment, racing up her leg.

When her vision cleared, she lifted her head, and saw Kai sprawled out on the floor on the other side, a stream of blood, glistening on the hardwood, in his wake. Jeremy seemed to have skidded across the table, ruining the cake, snacks, and drinks, scattering glass and silverware, making the table collapse under his weight.

"Kai," Skye said, and she ignored how her voice cracked with the utterance,though her eyes were trained on their attacker.

Liv stood defensively, her focus completely on Kai.

His face was against the floor and he remained unmoving. Taming down another spike of panic, she flattened her hands on the floor and tried to straighten out her leg, ready to drag herself across the floor.

However, seconds later, he raised up to his side with one hand, the other still clutched his wound. Skye sagged, grateful for the moment. He looked over to her, his eyes quickly scanning her body and her leg stretched out awkwardly, before meeting hers. His were undecipherable, and he glanced away a moment later and laughed, "Dang, sis." His face twisted with pain as he struggled to sit up. "That was harsh."

"Shut up," she said vehemently.

She swung her arm up again, and Kai cried out, his hand jumping up to hold his temple.

Skye began to pull herself closer to the table adjacent to her, carefully dragging her right ankle along.

"_Phasmatos_," Liv said, directing her arm and aim at a fork on the floor beside Kai, but he slammed his hand against the floor with a fierce expression, and the fork rocketed through the air, impaling Liv's neck.

She shrieked and fell back against the wall as Kai let out some more guffaws.

With bloody hands, he reached for a bottle of alcohol next to him.

Watching this, Skye paused in her quest and grew even more concerned, but not for Kai's safety, despite the huge blood stain on his shirt.

"Kai," she said again, injecting more authority in her tone.

He ignored her. "Ahh, it's all coming back to me, Livvy-poo," he said, getting to his feet and uncorking the bottle.

Liv ripped the fork from her neck as Kai bridged the distance between them. He splashed the liquid on her, swinging his arm in wide arcs. "You know the charge -"

"Stop it, Kai," Liv said.

He continued, his face dead. "-that races through your bones-" He let loose another stream.

"Stop it!" she screamed.

Skye sat, rapt, a thousand protests at the tip of her tongue but she couldn't make them come out.

"- at the prospect of watching someone burn to death," he finished, tossing the bottle over his shoulder. It shattered, the sound making Liv flinch.

"I really miss that feeling," he told her, sing-song, with a maniacal smile, looking completely unhinged. Involuntarily Skye shuddered, thinking miserably, _He's back_.

Snickering, he reached for the candle on the candelabra next to him. He grabbed it and held it out threateningly in Liv's direction, his smile now fallen, but his expression harsh.

Liv looked like she had accepted her fate. "Just kill me, Kai," she said weakly, her eyes glistening with tears.

Kai's face had transformed, going back to that puppy dog look from before when Damon had mentioned it was Bonnie's birthday. It gave Skye hope again.

"You already kill my best friend. So just do it," Liv said calmly.

He wavered, grimacing.

"Get it over with," she ordered, her voice more forceful.

Kai's face screwed up even more into a tortured expression, flitting between hard resolve, doubt, then anguish. "Why can't I do this?" he whispered to himself.

Skye finally found her voice. She had to force it out, "Kai, you _can't_...because you don't _want _to."

Kai finally spared her a glance, his jaw set. "_She hurt us_," he said emphatically and plaintively, like it was the only justification he needed to proceed, to actually want it.

"She's _hurting_, Kai. Like she said, her best friend was taken away from her." She remembered Liv's impassioned speech to her sister in the mausoleum.

_Luke__'s all I've got. _

"Shut up," Liv spat in her direction.

Skye didn't even hear her, concentrated entirely on the man in front of her, who stared at her, his arm never lowering."Kai, please..."

Her plea was interrupted by Liv's abrupt sob, and Kai turned his attention back to his sister.

"I don't care about you," he said, his voice unsteady, before he whispered to himself, "Why can't I kill her?" With more conviction, he said, "Come on, Kai. Do it. _Do it_. Come on!" he shouted, as he repeatedly smacked at his head. "Kill her!"

"No!" Skye yelled just as Liv exclaimed, "Motus!"

She launched the fork in the air, and it sailed right into Kai's chest. Startled, he dropped the candle and backed away from her.

Skye moved blindly, hastily grasping at the edge of the table to pull herself up, using the table for support, gritting her teeth against the pain, almost dropping again when she put pressure on her injured ankle.

Liv bent down to retrieve the fire poker from the floor while Kai went down onto his back, his hand going for the fork.

The next second, a knife soared through the air and pierced Liv's shoulder. She gasped and fell back against the wall.

Skye pulled her gaze away from Kai long enough to notice Jeremy picking up the Ascendant from the floor and moving to Kai's side.

Jeremy yanked the fork from Kai's chest, and Skye cringed, but the damage was done.

Jeremy helped him up, supporting him with one arm around his side and started half-dragging him to the foyer and down the hall.

Skye tried to follow as quickly as she could - at points hopping on one foot.

They reached the kitchen, and Jeremy kicked the door open, while, distantly, she Damon yell Jeremy's name. He helped Kai through the door then went to the island, where Kai grabbed onto its edge then promptly plopped to the floor, propping head and neck against its side. Jeremy kneeled on his left side.

Skye limped to his other side and used the edge of the island to lower herself on her butt, extending her injured leg out away from them, bending her other under her and trying to get as close to him as she could.

Jeremy grabbed Kai's collar with one hand as he gripped the Ascendant in his other. "Send me back."

Kai laughed, but it was half-hearted.

"Please," the other man begged.

"Jeremy, look at me," Kai said. "I'm half-dead."

To Skye, he did look terrible - weak and pale - his chest heaving, his words lacking their usual energy, and she feared his eyes were going to roll back any minute.

Jeremy pressed the Ascendant into his hand. "I need to stop Bonnie."

Kai looked to Skye, heavy-lidded, and she tried to smile reassuringly, but she knew it probably resembled a grimace more.

She scanned him, her eyes lingering on the state of his shirt - the white now prominently stained red.

"Come on, you're Kai Parker. Mega-powerful coven leader, remember?" she said, shoving down the emotion clogging her throat. Her eyes burned with the feeling of repressed tears.

She grabbed his free hand and encased it between her own, squeezing her assurance.

Kai turned back to Jeremy, nodding. "Okay," he said quietly and closed his eyes. Jeremy's countenance regained its hope. "Okay. _Phasmatos tribum, invocia cavea, misero mundi__..."_

Jeremy moved back until his back rested against the table bench and shut his eyes.

Every so often, she'd hear Liv call Kai's name (telling him to "come out here" and "you can't hide from me" in some sick, twisted role reversal of eighteen years ago), the sounds of furniture thrown in anger. But apparently the vengeful witch had yet to find the kitchen, and Skye already knew she would be prepared to defend them, noting the knife tittering on the edge of the island.

Far off, she heard glass breaking and Liv screaming. She could only assume Damon and Elena had finally made themselves useful.

Kai kept chanting throughout it all, his breathing growing more and more labored and words gaining longer pauses in between until suddenly he stopped.

Unnerved, she leaned towards him, wincing when she shifted her hurt ankle involuntarily.

She put her free hand under his nose, felt his breaths blow against her skin. But they were too far apart. That hand moved to his neck, where she searched for his pulse. It was faint, practically non-existent compared to how it usually beat.

Terror seized Skye, shock flooding her body.

"Kai," she said, shaking his shoulder. He didn't budge. "No, no, no."

She raised to her knees, disregarding the searing pain in her ankle, and patted her hand against his face lightly.

"Kai!" He didn't respond. "Damn it!"

"Damon!" she called. "Elena!"

She grasped his face in her hands, spoke soothing nonsense to him that he couldn't probably hear. Then with increasing panic, she screamed, "Damon! Elena!"

The tears were falling again, blurring her vision. Soon, irrepressible sobs escaped her.

_Sick, isn't it? _

His words echoed in her head, reminding her about the act of mourning.

But then she was weeping with relief as Damon and Elena appeared in the doorway.

Elena immediately ran to Jeremy while Damon rushed to them. He seemed to sense the urgency of Kai's condition because he knelt down and tried to wake Kai up too, saying his name and slapping him in the face, definitely not as gently as she had just minutes ago.

"Damn it," Damon muttered as he swiftly brought his wrist to his mouth and bit into it. He pressed his wrist against Kai's mouth even while Skye, uncomprehending, protested and tried to pry it off.

"Stop," he ordered, pressing his wrist more firmly against Kai's mouth.

Just seconds later, Kai's eyes popped open, and Damon retracted his wrist. With blood smeared on his lips, Kai seemed immensely surprised, owlish really, and Skye wanted nothing more than to close the distance between them and sob some more.

Near the bench, Elena shook Jeremy by the shoulders. "Jer, wake up. Wake up."

He jolted, his eyes opening. He breathed in deeply as Elena gasped, "Jeremy."

"I'm okay," he told her. Elena breathed a sigh of relief.

"Bonnie?" Elena asked fearfully."Is she-"

"I saw her. She's gonna be okay," Jeremy informed with the first smile Skye had seen on his face.

Skye wanted more details, but she didn't say anything as she felt Kai's gaze on her.

She looked towards him, and he grinned lazily. "Mission successful?"

"It would appear so." She grinned back, allowing herself to enjoy the victory, even amidst the chaos. She knew it was a pitiful grin, complete with puffy red eyes and probably some snot. She wiped at her eyes with her sleeve as Kai straightened up against the island, watching her.

Damon cleared his throat.

Skye's gaze darted to him. "Can you warn a girl next time before you put your bleeding wrist into someone's mouth?" Skye asked. "That was completely unsanitary."

"Did you not get the memo, P.G.?" Damon drawled. "Vampire blood has healing properties."

"No, but it explains why you always try to bite your wrist whenever someone around you is hurt. To think, all this time I just thought you were a weirdo. And stop calling me that."

She received another fake smile in reply.

"Skye," Kai prompted, and she looked back towards him in question. "You hurt something, didn't you?"

Oh yeah - the injury was a distant throbbing, long forgotten about in her hysteria.

"My right ankle," she confirmed.

Kai leaned forward, extending his hands towards her ankle, as Damon stood, giving them their space.

Skye noticed as Elena and Jeremy filed out the door - but only after Elena gave Damon a suggestive smile, which he reciprocated.

Kai unlaced her Converse shoes and then gingerly pulled them off as Skye bared her teeth, trying not to hiss.

A lump roughly the size of a golf ball was present on her ankle. Kai examined it, his fingers gently prodding the bones around the swollen area. "I don't think anything's broken. Probably just a spare," he diagnosed.

Damon curled his nose. "I _suppose _I could give you my blood for that," he offered reluctantly.

"No," Kai said instantly, casting him a dark, impatient look. "I can heal it using magic. The magic in your blood should've gave me a boost anyway."

"Good, 'cause I didn't want to give you any anyway," the vampire smirked. As if she had wanted any.

He walked to the doorway, seemingly with the intention to leave the room, but swinging around at the last minute. "Now I guess I have to start calling you R.P.G," he said. "You know, for Reformed Psycho's Girlfriend... no, wait. Doom," he added, pointing to Kai. Then he pointed at her. "Gloom. I think I like that better."

With that, he walked out, leaving them rolling their eyes.

"Maybe I should let you kill him after all," Skye told Kai, only half-joking.

"Please," he groaned gutturally, with enough longing that Skye felt it travel straight to her insides, making her flush.

Skye only shook her head, and Kai ducked his head back down, focusing on her ankle, his fingers caressing her skin.

He began whispering, "_Phasmatos Sanabitus_._ Phasmatos Sanabitus_..."

A intense warmth flooded her foot and streamed up her leg. She closed her eyes, soaking up the sensation, even when the heat became too much.

She only opened them again when he stopped chanting, and then she only saw her ankle back to its regular size and, above it, his proud smile.

* * *

She had draped his arm over her shoulder while hers had wound around his waist. She wasn't sure who was supporting whom as they walked to the front door - which one even needed support (because they were both healed, but he had complained of dizziness and her ankle was a little sore) but she didn't care. They unhurriedly but surely made their way, Kai's fingers digging into her shoulder.

They stopped, surprised, as it swung open before they reached it. A blonde women walked in, clutching a teddy bear who looked like , but a version that was worse for wear.

A man came in after her, immediately spotting them. He frowned, baffled, before before recognition dawned on both sides.

He pointed a finger at her."New face. Skye, right?"

She smiled politely. "Hi, Stefan." His eyes traveled up to her companion, who she was steadfastly ignoring as she felt the burn of his gaze on her.

_Well, this is awkward_, she thought. She wasn't sure how involved Stefan had been in the Kai situation or the blonde woman for that matter, who observed them now, suspicion the clearest thing being expressed on her face. Skye didn't know how much they knew about her.

"Kai?" Stefan asked, sounding like he was guessing but still looking puzzled, a crease in his forehead appearing. Behind him, the blonde tensed.

"He's good now, " Skye blurted, panicked. "Well, maybe I should say halfway good."

"And you're the good brother," Kai replied to Stefan. "Sorry about that whole Katherine/Elena situation. If you're asking me, I think you dodged a bullet both times. Oh, wait, was that insensitive to say? Damon told me you became a vampire because your dad shot you. You know, the one literal bullet you didn't dodge..."

Stefan seemed unsure how to react, his mouth opening before he'd falter. Finally, he settled on, "What are you doing here?"

"Rescue mission," Kai said.

Skye added, "For Bonnie."

"Bonnie?" the blonde asked, stepping forward. She still held the tattered teddy bear in her hands.

Stefan glanced behind him then gestured back to her. "Uh, this is Caroline. Caroline, Skye and Kai."

They nodded to her, and she merely stood, staring, her eyes emoting more than words could. Skye instantly knew she had to be another "friend" of Bonnie's, her face flickering between far too many emotions - hope, the most frequent one - just to be meeting strangers.

They all stood a moment awkwardly in silence before Skye broke it, "So we were just leaving, we've had quite the day." She caught Stefan's eyes go down to Kai's torso and observe the large bloodstain Kai still sported. His face grew pinched with concern, but he said nothing.

She tugged on Kai's arm, and they started walking to the door, her mostly dragging him along.

"Wait," Caroline called urgently, taking a few steps after them. Skye paused, turning briefly under Kai's arm. "Did you? Did you rescue Bonnie?"

"I think we made it possible for her to get out on her own. I wish we could've done more."

Caroline nodded, her expression somber.

Skye looked to Stefan, "Stefan?"

He moved forward to stand beside Caroline, one brow raised inquisitively.

"If you see Bonnie, can you tell her I'm sorry?"

He nodded too, but solemnly.

Skye and Kai made it out the door and to the car.

* * *

Kai collapsed on their motel bed backwards, his limbs flailing, ending up in a spread-eagle position. One hand stretched to the bedside table, and he deposited the Ascendant on the table top.

Skye stopped at the foot of the bed and eyed his dirty, bloodstained shirt as he groaned and brought his hand back to rub over his eyes tiredly.

"So, as it turns out, my sis is also a little stab happy," Kai said, raising up on his elbows. "I'm starting to think she takes after me a little too much. Well, the old me. Except the whole lack of self-preservation."

Skye bent to untie her shoes and removed them.

"She's just lucky that I have some. Otherwise, she would get her wish,"

"Your death?"

"Well that and her death. Her life is connected to mine."

Skye cocked her head. "How's that?"

"Every Gemini witch's life is connected to me. If I die, the whole coven goes. It's probably the only reason they haven't tried to come after me."

Appalled, Skye could only stare back at him before she attempted speech. "What the hell?"

He shrugged. "It keeps them in line. We don't have to worry about coups."

"It keeps them at your mercy," she rebutted.

"What can I say? That's the kind of man my father was... is."

And was he, Kai, still that kind of man now too? Even partway? That was the imperative question. It seemed he could slip back and forth on the drop of a dime now, and she wasn't always sure which side she wanted to be dominant. At least knew how to handle the old him...

Silence weighed heavily on them now and she turned to the dresser, situated below the television. She pulled out one of his T-shirts from the drawer and tossed it at him.

She didn't want to see that gaping bloodstain anymore.

The garment landed on his face, and she repressed a laugh.

He pulled it off and sent her a peeved look. He shrugged out of his blazer and threw it to the floor. Next, he shucked his T-shirt, and she was relieved to see that the vampire blood had completely healed the wound, leaving no mark behind.

However, he chose not to put on the new T-shirt, throwing it back in her direction. The sudden mischief on his face was explanation enough as to why.

He gazed at her for a long moment, the corner of his mouth tipping up.

"Come here," he prompted, wiggling his finger.

She smiled pleasantly at him. "No."

He frowned. "Skye, I'm not gonna do anything to you." It was a lie - his proximity certainly did something to her, had her muddled, unable to think clearly.

She merely regarded him doubtfully.

"I just wanna talk," he said innocently, raising his hands in surrender.

Reluctantly, and watching him warily, she made her way to the bed and moved to sit diagonally to him, crossing her legs.

He leaned back, resting his head against propped up pillows, his gaze intent on her.

She didn't shy away from it now. She stared him down right back and raised an eyebrow.

Finally, he looked away and sighed, the sound wistful.

"What?"

He chuckled. "Nothing."

"I thought you wanted to talk?"

"It's just - a bloody gravestone on an island off Nova Scotia." He laughed bitterly. "Wish I had known about that while we were in the Prison World."

It took a minute for Skye to process it. "You mean so you could siphon it's magical energy or whatever?"

"More like for the Bennett blood smeared all over it," he said. "Since I didn't know about that, I had access to other sources of magic. I scoured most of the Earth, I think, in the Prison World searching for receptacles of magic. That was the main reason I learned to fly a plane, to go abroad," he added, almost like an afterthought.

Skye felt her body go rigid as her mind speed up, rebelling against the information he sprouted off, his seemingly absent-minded admissions making her uneasy. Her mouth opened, but no words came out.

He continued, "I found plenty of artifacts to siphon, but the magic never lasted. And all the times I tried the spell to go home, it never worked."

This particular confession coerced words out of her mouth. Her tone arctic, she said, "You tried to leave without me? Multiple times?"

"I would've come back for you," he said easily, like it was a given, but it did nothing to alleviate the feeling she was experiencing and having a difficult time pinpointing. It wasn't surprise, wasn't anger, but it was bitter, and it burned.

"Is the you you are now saying that? Or the old you?"

"Any version of me would've come back for you," he said with feigned nonchalance, but his eyes held a small hint of his frustration. He couldn't believe or didn't appreciate her challenging the idea. "It didn't matter anyway. None of my attempts worked, like I said. I was missing a component. Something I didn't know about until near the end of our incarceration when, hopped on some serious magic, I finally uncovered the stash of plans that my father had been drawing up for the Prison World. That's when I found out about the Bennett blood thing."

"That's why you headed to Mystic Falls?" Her head spun with the new information as she tried to keep up, the black feeling only getting worse.

Kai grinned ruefully. "Yep. Wanted to see if I could exhume some dead relatives. Which, by the way, was really a crappy way to find out that all the graves were empty. However, a short few weeks later, Damon and Bonnie arrived. Conveniently."

"Wait, I thought Bonnie accused you of not knowing the spell before she pickaxed you?"

"Funny story - I knew the first part of the incantation. I found it in a grimoire in the stash. My dad came up with it - joint effort, remember? I just didn't know there was a second part to it till I heard Bonnie recite it in the cave. So the real reason -"

Skye interrupted him. "-You were acting shifty in the clearing was because you knew we'd need her blood."

He imitated a game show ding. "Bingo."

She really shouldn't have been as shocked as she was. She had to remain herself he was confessing to the sins of a past Kai.

_He was going to leave you_. _He __**tried **__to leave you_. _He __**wanted **__to leave you, _one voice whispered, the only part of her with her sense intact.

_He would've come back, he said so himself, _the other voice combated, stifling the black feeling.

Kai, oblivious to her turmoil, kept rambling: "You know, I feel like in a different world, me and Bonnie could've been friends or something. We're both powerful, badass witches. We could tag team, take out the doofy Salvatores and every other dumb vampire that tried to take advantageous of us."

She only just barely heard him, her stomach churning.

"Except I don't know what you'd do. You are pretty handy with a gun. I'm sure stake guns are a thing..."he trailed off as he noticed she looked far away."Babe?

Skye lifted her eyes to his probing stare.

"Sorry," she finally answered, pushing away her thoughts about herself. "It's just hard to fantasize that world when I consider how much Bonnie hates you. And me, probably."

Kai sat up, leaning forward until his fingers grazed her tresses on either side of her head; he wrapped a lock around one. "It's okay if she hates me because I prefer mean blondes who verbally eviscerate vampires four times her age anyway."

_He certainly doesn't act like it_, she thought.

Seeming displeased by her lack of reaction, his fingers shifted to her jaw and brought her face forward in order to plant a brief kiss on her forehead.

"Do you think Bonnie's really going to be okay? Well as okay as someone can be who still has to save herself?" she asked.

Exhaling loudly, he drew back. "I think she will be fine. Badass, remember? Now, let's go to sleep."

He laid back, extinguishing the overhead light with a wave of his hand, plunging the room into darkness and reducing her visual capacity.

She sighed; she still had not gotten used to such casual displays of magic.

She moved forward and climbed under the covers, settling her head against her cool pillow.

But she laid there, wide awake, contemplating all the other questions she had that normally went unanswered. Some minor, some major - now seemed the appropriate time since he was in such a confessional mood.

Finally, she prepped herself to ask another major question that been on her mind since before they escaped the Prison World, the notion bothering her more than she'd care to admit. She turned on her side, her hands searching blindly on the surface of the mattress until it came into contact with his forearm."Why didn't you tell me you were a siphoner?"

He waited so long to respond she thought he had really fallen asleep. "I figured it wouldn't have changed anything."

Skye could sense there was more to it him keeping reserved about it- that knowledge certainly would've explained some things for her earlier on - his father's hatred of him, his hatred of his father, why he had felt the need to retaliate to such a degree - even if it didn't completely excuse his behavior.

Skye was ready to give up on asking him any more questions if he really wasn't going to answer them.

However, Kai seemed ready to impart one last admission for the night. "I think we should leave in the morning." It was said quietly, almost randomly.

She felt herself react quickly, raise up on her elbow before she really even registered what she was doing. Now, she sought contact with his chest, moving her hand up. She wished she could see his eyes in the dark, but she was only afforded a shadowed view of his face, the outside light streaming in from the window too obscured by the curtains. She wanted to bridge the distance between them even more like he was usually apt to do, but he had yet to reciprocate her touch, uncharastically keeping his hands to himself.

"And go where?"

"Anywhere. Anywhere out of this state would be good. Maybe even the country-"

"No, we're staying here," she cut in, vehement. "We're staying here till I see that Bonnie's physically here. That she's okay, and with her friends...even if they're shitty. I -," she choked up and swallowed. "I need to know that you didn't lie there half-dead, pushing the limits of your body and your magic for nothing, okay? And I'm sorry," she paused to take a deep breathe. "I'm sorry for not paying attention...when Liv attacked you."

Kai remained silent, and she laid back down again, disappointed, putting her back to him.

After such a harrowing day, Skye was inclined to sink back in the mattress and the comforting cushion of the pillow and let it envelope her into a dreamless sleep. It did not matter that he was not curled around her, that he hadn't touched her, he probably would be when she woke up.

It was only after Skye felt like she was near unconsciousness, he said softly, "Don't apologize to me, Skye."

She hummed and fought the drowsiness as she realized she had another debt to address. She flipped over on her side and scooted closer to him.

"Thank you, Mal," she whispered with her eyes closed, the nickname an actual endearment for the first time as it left her mouth. "For going to the lengths you did."

He didn't say anything, only emitting a sound that sounded like "Shh." But a moment later, she felt him shift across the mattress on his side, closer to her. His arm went around her waist and he pulled her to his chest. His hand reached up her back to her nape and nestled her head under his chin. The earthly scent and warmth he exuded acted together fast, and she was drifting again easily. However, it was then, on the cusp, that she was able to identify that black feeling: betrayal. She felt his lips brush against her hair, and she dismissed the thought, falling asleep.

* * *

_A/N: Next chapter might even come sooner a little sooner because the flashback is already written - I wrote it around Christmas time as a gift for my friend and it depicts their first date. In other words, it take place before the Prison World, I hope you guys are excited for that. The rest of the chapter will take place during 6x14, though Kai and Skye will be doing their own thing away from everyone._

_I hope Stefan and Caroline weren't too out of character. I just really wanted Kai to meet Stefan and for Skye to run into Stefan again for reasons : )_

_Thanks to those who reviewed! I really appreciate and I'm always happy to hear what you think. Also, thanks to all the new people who have added the story to their favorites and follows - I would love to hear what you guys think too._

_WickedlyMinx: Aww, thank you! That was a incredibly sweet message. I hope you like this chapter._

_Sophiewhettingsteel: Thank you! I don't foresee Kai getting stuck in the 1903 Prison World in this story because there are more important things I think he and Skye should be doing. Also, as you can see from this flashback, she did get pregnant. Now what happened to the baby will be revealed in the flashback after next - sorry to keep you hanging, but I wouldn't think the worse._

_NiNa5: Yes, thank you! Here it is! Hope you like it._

_RHatch89: Thanks : )_

_Guest 1: Thank so much! In my opinion, Kai and Skye have more important things to do than be stuck in 1903. To give a small hint, if you don't mind, it will involve their past. Yes, I have seen Containment and I thought I was forced to endure Jatie until your review and your question came across my screen. I had never thought about creating an O.C. for him, but as soon as I saw your question, my mind exploded. 15 minutes later, I had a name, a backstory, and a personality for her, lol. And I did start on the first chapter, but I can't promise that I will finish it or when I will upload it, as I just got a job and some of my free time and energy has been taken away again. It also needs way more development before I think it is anywhere near presentable. But thank you for your support and I will try to write it someday!_

_Khari: Thank you...just thank you so much for your empathy and your intelligence. Thank you for defending the story so thoroughly. Thank for taking the time to write such in-depth analyses and for saying such incredibly lovely things. I hope you enjoy this chapter as well. As for how I'm gonna handle Bonnie's betrayal in regards to both Skye and Kai, I've always thought that Skye would be sympathetic to Bonnie. I don't wanna give too much away though. I've not really thought about how Kai will react, but you (and others) have mentioned it and made me realize that I need to spend more time placing emphasis on it and developing it._

_.2016: Thank you! I tried to touch on Skye's feelings about having children in the flashback. Hope you caught it and that it is satisfying._

_Sweet Summer Sunset: Thank you! I hope SPN never ends either, lol, and nope, actually I'm still a demon that they tolerate, lol. Anyway, I had trouble making Kai do that too. But I thought about it: the objects are just duplicates, the real versions in the real world are still intact. Also, the Prison World resets itself, I think, so they went right back to their original condition. Believe me, he didn't get to all of it and I only had him do it because I couldn't see him leaving it alone. Hope that assuages you somewhat, lol. Also, in response to what you said about Damon lashing out, I agree with you. I think it's very much in line with his character: lashing out when he knows he's in the wrong._

_YoCupcake: Thank you so much! I died like 15 times reading your review(s). Mostly your love of the smut and your hatred of Demon, I mean Damon. And this statement: "He's like a cute puppy now, and she is the stern owner." Now I can't look at their dynamic as anything but that, lol. Also, thanks for your understanding, and I'm sorry for your loss. I'm sorry I haven't finished reviewing all your stories yet, but I will! I just started a new job so it's keeping me busy, but I hope to soon. I hope you enjoyed the few I did give recently._

_Vasya: Here it is!_

_Wikked: Aww, thanks! Hope you like this one and that staying up to read it all night long wasn't detrimental to your daily life, lol._

_Annabethchase1500: Thanks so much for the praise, understanding, and the congrats! Yes, I received a Bachelor's in English with minors in Creative Writing and Digital Media Productions. I don't foresee keeping Kai and Skye stuck with the Heretics (don't really care about them and I didn't even watch the 7th season). They have more important things to do - like delve back into their past. I hope that sounds enticing to you, because I don't wanna give away too much. No, I don't plan on killing Kai. His death is not interesting to me. But I think I've said before to others, that you might have to worry about other (important) people._

_AnaneDvias3581: Here it is!_


	19. Chapter 19

Set during 6x14, "Stay"

_There's a room in a hotel in New York City_

_That shares our fate and deserves our pity_

_I don't want to remember it all_

_The promises I made if you just hold on_

_Hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on_

_And I need just enough of you to dull the pain_

_Just to get me through the night till we're twins again_

_Till we're stripped down to our skeletons again_

_Till we're saints just swimming in our sins again_

_And there's a jet black crow droning on and on and on_

_Up above our heads droning on and on and on_

_Keep making trouble 'till you find what you love_

_I need a new partner in crime and you shrug_

_A birth and a death on the same day _

_And honey I only appeared so I can fade away_

_I wanna throw my hands in the air and scream_

_And I could just die laughing on your spiral of shame_

_And there's a jet black crow droning on and on and on_

_Up above our heads droning on and on and on_

_Hit it, never quit it. I have been through the wreck_

_But I can string enough to show my face in the light again_

_"Twin Skeletons" - Fall Out Boy _

Chapter 19 - If You Just Hold On

_November 1992_

_He was leaning against her desk again, she didn't even have to glance up to check who it was. Unfortunately, she was attuned to his presence - how the air shifted, became thick and oppressive, charged with something that made the hair stand up on the back of her neck, goosebumps pop up on her arms. He made her very aware of her own body in that way. _

_Her brush with Kai Parker almost a month ago had escalated quickly, with him showing up the very next day and flirting with her for the better part of an hour. Which would've been fine, maybe even appreciated by her on a slow day. But several students had come up to her desk, asking for help, and he directed them away, giving them false information with a completely straight face. _

_Acting totally overbearing, seemingly without any remorse, and like he was justly entitled to her time, was the most effective way to piss Skye off. And he had been pretty efficient that first day. _

_Her first, favorable impression of him as a cute, possibly smart, mysterious guy with good teeth had evaporated, leaving behind a new classification:blabbering asshole in need of a good dose of humility. _

_But he persisted, showing up the next day. It was a slower day, but that still didn't stop her from threatening to throw him out of the library._

_He talked her down, as smooth as he was. Then, over the course of the next few days, wore her down until she looked upon their meetings with a begrudging anticipation now, their repartee becoming an almost daily routine - leaving her disappointed the three or four days he didn't show. She might've considered them friends at this point, except that they had never hazarded an attempt at hanging out outside of the library or exchanging numbers. _

_Plus, she had a sneaking suspicion that friendship wasn't really what he was after. A suspicion he'd proven right each day this past week when he'd show up, asking the same question in different forms. _

_"So, Skye," he began now, leaning his elbows on the shelf above her head, not even bothering with pleasantries anymore. "What are you doing tomorrow night?"_

_"The answer hasn't changed," she told him good-naturedly as she looked up at him and was hit by the full force of him - his lean body up against her desk, with his dark hair, light eyes, and full mouth, a dangerous combination all front and center - completely set on ignoring how he made her feel all nervous and tingly. "I still have a date, and it's still not with you. So save it because I'm not really in the mood to deal with Mr. Smooth Talker and -"_

_"Wait," Kai broke in, raising a hand. "I got distracted when you mentioned the word 'date' and then referred to me in the same sentence." _

_She sighed out, exasperated already, and he smirked. _

_Shrugging, all nonchalance, he continued,"I mean, I think it's a good idea. I'd be up for it." _

_She couldn't help it, she smiled and resisted a snort, looking away, unable to handle his intense eyes, steady on her. He was still going, "It's very forward of you, by the way. " _

_Facing him again, she furrowed her brow and frowned. "To ask," he clarified. "Don't get me wrong, I appreciate it. It shouldn't always be on the guy to do all the work. "_

_She shook her head, in disbelief. "You're insane."_

_And the wide grin he rewarded her with in response, was a little manic. He started playing with the pencils in the cup on the edge of her desk, twirling them around, making them tap against each other obnoxiously. "I'm serious," he argued, his mirth-filled features not at all matching his words._

_She exhaled loudly. "Look, Kai..."_

_"Uh oh, you're using the tone," he said. _

_"What tone?"_

_"The tone, the one that tells me you're gonna shoot me down yet again." He had stopped his messing with the pencils, his mouth forming a flat line. _

_"I really do have a date, Kai," Skye said, adamant. She had almost tacked on a 'sorry,' but stopped herself last minute. Because why should she be sorry? She wasn't lying. _

_It wasn't her fault he couldn't take rejection. She was fighting the urge to tell him as much, too, because she refused to feel pity for him, even as he stood there with his mouth still pursed, unhappy with her. _

_And yet another part of her - a small part - felt, for some unknown reason, despondent at the thought of their meetings coming to a passive aggressive, unceremonious end. _

_Kai seemed to regain his good humor in the next second, a smirk - smaller than before - gracing his face. _

_"Well, if you decide that this date of your's leaves you lacking," he started. He took a pencil from the cup and pulled a slip of paper from the stack next to it - paper she was supposed to use for writing down call numbers. He wrote down something quickly and then left it to sit there as he backed away. "Let me know."_

_He turned and left, without a look back. She would know because she had stood to watch his exit, his swift, long-legged stride away from her, feeling forlorn and confused._

_She examined the slip, and scrawled there was a different kind of number. The seven digit kind. _

* * *

_It was Friday evening, and Skye was dreading her date with Tom. She had been on three dates with him so far, and they'd been...fine. Fun. As fun as any given night with her friends. Key word: friends._

_She stood in her dorm room, in front of her closet, contemplating her choice of outfit for the night. And she found that she was too indecisive for her own good. She had no idea what to wear for her date with Tom. But she knew exactly what she'd wear for a date with Kai. Her grey sweater, her best, most intact pair of jeans, and she'd maybe even dig out her boots. Slap on some make-up and pull her hair up._

_Suddenly, there was a knock on the door, and she was saved from further introspection. She opened it, revealing her best friend, Alexandra, who carried two to-go coffee cups in her hands. _

_"Figured out your boyfriend dilemma yet?" she asked, as she breezed in, handing Skye one of the cups. _

_Skye groaned at being reminded."Nobody is anyone's boyfriend." She took a sip of her coffee, humming __contentedly__. _

_Alexandra sat on Skye's roommate's bed - a choice Skye knew her roommate would sneer at to see, which was probably why she chose to do it. _

_Skye smiled as Alexandra assessed her quietly. Finally, she shrugged. "Well I'm already tired of Tom, you've been on enough dates with him. So I say go for the new guy. What's so bad about him anyway?" _

_Skye sat on her bed, folding one leg under herself, and started picking at her duvet with the hand that wasn't holding her cup. "Well, he's usually the type of guy I actively avoid - smug and talkative. Jerkish. Insufferable." _

Dangerous-looking_, she added in her head, not even with the littlest bit of levity. _

_"But..." Alexandra prompted knowingly._

_Skye leaned her chin on her knee. "He's also really smart and funny."_

_"Honestly, I think you've got the opposite of a problem," Alexandra countered. "And don't try to fool me, girl. I remember how you said he was hot and that his ass was, and I quote, '__marvelous__.'" _

_Skye shook her head, __still full of doubt. __"Xandra, I don't know," Skye told her__._

_"Maybe you need a change of pace," Alexandra suggested. _

_"It's gonna end with me never seeing him again, I already know that. He's gonna forget to call."_

_"So call him."_

_"Ha ha. I mean, he's not gonna be interested in seeing me every again. That's what jerks do."_

_"Maybe he will be a new type of jerk. Maybe he'll become obsessed with you and never want to let you go. "_

_"You say maybe an awful lot," Skye shot at her. _

_"And you say never a lot__,__" she teased back__ then frowned as she __checked her wristwatch. She stood, taking a big drag out of her drink. "I've got to go. Supposed to be meeting Paul-" she glanced down to her watch again. "-right now. Tell me all about it tomorrow, okay?"_

_She started for the door and Skye followed after her, chuckling. "I will."_

_Skye watched her friend depart down the hallway then shut the door, sighing. _

_She spent another hour, alternatively reading her textbooks and pacing while glaring at the closet. _

_She started biting her nails as she eyed her telephone. _

_That stupid slip of paper was tucked away in her desk drawer, where she had stowed after she had gotten home the night before. She had carried it around in her pocket all day yesterday, half-hoping and half-fearing it would disappear or disintegrate. _

_She couldn't understand why she was so reluctant to give Kai a chance. Then she started thinking about Tom and remembered why - Tom, eager and gentlemanly, All-American, blond; practically, an human embodiment of a Golden Retriever. Entirely too much like all of her semi-serious boyfriends before. Guys that weren't pushy, guys that were dependable, guys that made her feel confident when she was with them...and bored. Not ones that, frankly, scared the shit out of her. _

_Skye was certain Tom would make a poodle very happy one day. But she wasn't a poodle, she had a secret affinity for Dobermans, apparently. _

_Just two hours later, she had already called Tom and cancelled. And he had been gracious about it, even asking about rescheduling it (because she had lied about the real cause of her last-minute cancellation, of course. Didn't think he would take too kindly to her announcing the real reason she was blowing him off - for another guy). It had her feeling worse than if he'd been annoyed or angry with her. _

_Her heart racing, she picked up the phone again with one hand. The other hand opened her desk drawer and retrieved the little slip of paper. She dialed the number and took her deep breaths in as the line rang. _

_She was just about to hang up, battling between disappointment and relief, after the third ring. _

_But he picked on the fourth. "Hello?" she heard, his voice faint. _

_She rushed to put the receiver back to her ear. "Hi," she said, struck dumb for a moment. Then she added, "Kai."_

_She cringed at how her next thought was about accidental rhyming, and not about communicating her purpose for the call. "It's Skye," she said after a tense moment of silence that seemed to last longer than it actually did, inanely realizing, for the first time, that her name also complimented this ridiculous rhyme scheme. _

_She waited a beat longer for his acknowledgement, of any type - she would take anything at this point in favor of not feeling like a idiot for her rash decision. _

_"Kai..." she prompted. Still nothing, just the sound of breathing. "I'm going to hang up in five seconds if you don't speak...one-"_

_Finally, he spoke, his voice somehow deeper over the telephone. "Sorry, I'm just recovering from my shock. Didn't think I'd hear from you tonight, on account of your date. You know, the one that you seemed so bent on attending, with no regard for my extremely sensitive feelings on the subject."_

_She almost bristled at his words before she realized that he was joking. Or, at worse, mocking, but she let it slide because...well, she hadn't much cared for her date with Tom after all. And the idea of Kai being upset over it had affected her more than she'd ever admit aloud. "Actually, I cancelled my date," she informed him slowly. "And I wondering if your offer for one still stands tonight..."_

_He let out a sound, close to a sigh. "I don't know - it's kinda short notice," he told her, tentatively._

_She grimaced, not having even considered that. "Oh, you're right," she said. "God, I didn't even think-"_

_"Skye," he said, a grin in his voice. _

_"No, it's fine. I guess I'll see you around?" she talked over him in a rush. _

_"Skye, I was kidding. " He seemed highly entertained by her reaction, a short laugh escaping him. "I'm leaving right now to come get you." _

_She grinned, giddy and wordless, before she composed herself hurriedly. "See you soon then." _

_She heard another chuckle as he hung up. _

_That special type of Kai-induced anticipation was back - begrudging but strong, mixed with the almost incapacitating nervousness, which was exacerbated when she realized her time frame for getting ready had dwindled considerably. She began hurrying around, pulling clothes from the closet. _

_Skye was so concentrated on preparing herself that she paid no mind to the fact that she had never told Kai where she lived. _

* * *

_Skye waited outside, in front of her dorm building on the sidewalk by the street, wearing the outfit she had envisioned earlier._

_Yes, a sweater was a good choice for a chilly evening like this, with the biting wind and the sun setting in the horizon. She was soon regretting not bringing a jacket and putting her hair up. _

_Soon, a car was pulling up, stopping where she stood. _

_She __rushed__ to it, assuming it was Kai. She ducked her head by the window and checked, confirming her assumption before she opened the door. _

_He was laughing as she settled in the seat. "And, to think, I was gonna get out, and do the whole gentleman thing - you know, open your door, compliment you." _

_"Well, I was cold," she told him, grateful that the car's interior was already toasty from the heater. _

_She made the mistake then of looking directly into his face. He was smirking, his expression playful, but his eyes were intense, brimming with a heat that was hotter than the air coming out of the vents. "Was that statement the beginning of a ploy to steal my jacket?"_

_"I guess we'll see," she answered, after she'd swallowed, wetting her dry mouth. "But you could still compliment me..."_

_He chuckled as he weaved expertly back into traffic of the street. "Okay... I like your neatly trimmed fingernails." _

_Laughter bubbled out of her involuntarily. "Smooth."_

_They fell into an awkward silence as he drove through Eugene, taking turns and passing streets she felt like she'd never seen before. Her nerves were still on high-alert, making her sick to her stomach. Mostly because he was letting silence stretch between them - something that had never happened before. It suddenly washed over her that this was the first time she had been exposed to him in an enclosed, intimate space. Which had her stomach fluttering more, if it were possible. And it certainly only fueled the tense, charged atmosphere that already existed whenever she was in his presence. _

_"Where are we going?" she finally asked, to break the tension._

_She didn't really have a game plan - the whole thing spawned of impulsivity, impromptu. She didn't figure he did either. _

_"You're one of those weird kind of people who hate surprises, aren't you?" _

_"Kinda," she confessed. _

_"Noted," he said. "Just wait, we're almost there."_

_And he was apparently the type of person that loved making others suffer, she decided as, five more excruciating minutes later, they pulled into the parking lot of the Lane __County__ Ice Arena - at least that's what the large sign said at the front of the building._

_"Hockey game?" she said quizzically, as they vacated the car. _

_He simply shook his head as he came up to her side, grabbing ahold of her hand and leading her to the entrance. "Better."_

_Skye had never really been a big fan of hand-holding with other boys - finding it awkward, especially when the sweating started in. Plus, there were always so many elements to consider - where and when was it appropriate to break it, to resume it? Whose hand went on top? Was it cuter, more romantic, to interlace them instead? How much pressure were you supposed to apply? Could you squeeze their hands, make up some secret code of communication? _

_Also, she had never been big on the idea that she needed to be directed, that she was incapable of walking on her own. _

_But holding hands with Kai - definitely different... definitely more thrilling - in a way she had never experienced before. First, he had grabbed her hand so casually, like he had done it several times before. His hand on top, his hold was firm and his thumb stroked against her knuckles softly (a new component to think about) as he pulled her along the short distance to the doors. _

_Skye was so caught up in admiring Kai's hand-holding abilities, she really didn't snap to attention until after they walked through the double doors, and came to a stop on the exterior of a indoor ice rink, filled with men, women, and children bundled up and gliding across the smooth whiteness. The rink was surrounded by bleachers - some spots occupied by people putting on or taking off their skates. The music emanating from speakers installed in the corners of the arena was loud, as were the the sounds of people's laughter and chatter, and the unmistakable sounds of metal against ice._

_"Ice skating?" Her voice sounded anxious, to her own ears._

_"Ever been before?" he asked. _

_"Nope," she admitted._

_He laughed__ shortly__. "Then this should be interesting." _

_Skye had to agree, and they walked to the front desk to pay and procure their own skates. He had dropped her hand on the way there, and she found, to her immense surprise, that she was __saddened __by__ the action, even after acknowledging that their hands had started getting clammy. _

_She was even more surprised to learn that she wouldn't mind a second time, even __excited__ for when they w__ould be __on the ice themselves, because she was going to need someone to lean on, as inexperienced as she was._

_Now, they were si__tting__ on their own b__ench__, __kicking__ off their shoes, and attempt__ing__ to force their feet in the skates. _

_"So you've ice skated before?" she asked, as she bent down to lace __up the skates__._

_Kai hadn't actually even put his skates on yet, he was too busy studying the blade on the bottom. Running his index finger along its edge, which had her wincing, and cautioning, "Careful." She almost reached out her hand to restrain his._

_He smirked, as he stopped then finally bent down too, pulling the skate on his right foot. "Yes, I've been before with my siblings."_

_"Siblings?" _

_"Yes, I have a butt-load of them," he told her, rolling his eyes, now working on his left. "All younger than me, all more annoying than you can imagine."_

_She smiled, as she finished lacing her other one. "I just have one. She's older."_

_He groaned, the sound jealous and innocuous but sending pleasant tremors through her insides. "Lucky."_

_She shook her head, disagreeing. "I always wanted younger siblings." _

_He scoffed, "Seven of them?"_

_"Whoa," she said, a little shocked. Though she had heard of bigger families. "Maybe not seven."_

_"Well, six, technically. My sister's the same age as me - we're twins. I'm just a few minutes older."_

_"You're a twin?" she demanded excitedly. "That's so cool." _

_He smiled, close-mouthed, regarding her excitement with doubt. "Is the part where you ask me if we wear matching clothes and know when the other has a headache?"_

_She snorted. "People ask you that?"_

_"I've had people ask me if we're identical, after I'd just told them our difference of gender."_

_At that, she full out laughed. His smile broke out into a wide grin, and laughed along with her for a few moments. _

_"But enough about that," he said decisively as he rose from the bleacher seat, gracefully despite the skates, and turned towards her, holding out his hands. "Ready for your first ice skating experience?"_

_She put her hands in his eagerly, internally glowing at the fact that her prediction from earlier had come true. _

_She stood, then wobbled, unsteady. He caught her, his hands sliding up to grip her arms, stabilizing her, and then helped her clomp to entrance of the the rink. _

_Being on the ice was worse, however._

_She fell three times, dragging him down with her only once. He was a good sport about having to help her, keeping a hand on her at all times. Tirelessly, good-naturedly explaining the process, even while she kept laughing at him: _

_"It's not like walking, just act like you're gliding. Like a bird, but with your feet."_

_"You have to shift your weight, from foot to foot as you go. Like regular skating...who doesn't know how to skate regularly? Have you lived under a rock this whole time?"_

_"No, I can't do a triple lutz. Even I could, I would not explain to you how to do one at this stage of your development... Why don't you call up Tonya Harding after we get out of here, if you're so curious?"_

_She suspected the people paying attention to them, if there were any, got a good show. _

_And, after an hour and a half on the ice, she could skate for a few feet on her own... that is, until she started thinking about it, then she would falter. But he always quickened his pace to catch her just in the nick of time. That's when he caught her shivering, and declared an end to their fun._

_They walked back to the bleacher that held their stuff. She sat, stiffly, after she removed her skates, completely cold, her hands freezing. She stuck them between her thighs. _

_Kai seemed less disturbed by the cold, dressed as he was in layers - a canvas jacket over a long-sleeved shirt - which only knew about as he shed the jacket, along with his skates. He draped his jacket over her shoulders, and had Skye glancing up at him, thankful. _

_"I've decided to fall prey to the ploy," he said. She grinned as he inquired, "Hot chocolate sound good? They sell it here."_

_She nodded vigorously in reply. _

_He walked to the front desk to return the skate while she located the concession stand on the other side of the rink. She ordered two cups, and sat one of the picnic tables they had set up, waiting. _

_She waved him over when she spotted him, but he held up a finger and went to the concession stand's counter anyway. _

_He was making his way over the table, minutes later, a tray in hand. _

_"Cheese fries?" he offered, as he sat on the bench, tipping the tray in her direction. _

_She pushed his cup towards him across the table before she grabbed a fry, realizing her hunger as the delicious smell wafted over to her. "I don't know if they'll go well together, but why not?"_

_"That's the spirit," he said approvingly, stuffing several fries in his mouth before he took a sip of his cocoa. "I'm the king of weird food combinations, just so you know." _

_"Really?"_

_"Oh yeah. My favorite thing are strawberry jam and bacon sandwiches."_

_"Ew," she said immediately, her nose crinkling. _

_He guffawed at her revolted expression for a long time, before he sobered, pinning her with earnest eyes. "So what made you finally decide to change your mind?"_

_She took a sip of her drink, pondering a way to deflect. "I thought I asked you out?"_

_He seemed confused for a second before he realized what she meant, and smirked - but it wasn't as carefree or playful as the earlier ones. No, it was rueful. _

_"Well, I did pick the activity and pay for it, so I'm gonna say this one fell to me as the asker."_

_She shrugged. "Fair enough." _

_"But," he continued smoothly__,__ "Say, if you wanted to ask me for the next time, I wouldn't be opposed."_

_"Because this time went so well, huh?" she teased. _

_"Oh, yeah, so well that I'm already thinking up __disgustingly cute__ pet names for each other now."_

_"Ew," she said again, unable to contain her grin once more. _

_His hand rubbed his jaw, in mock-thought. "Hmm, what do you think of babe?"_

_"I think that I'm not a pig or a baseball player or on Baywatch," she said flippantly._

_He frowned. "What about for me?"_

_She contemplated it, picking the most embarrassing she had ever heard. "Buttercup?"_

_His answering laugh was rich and __touched__ all the most intimate parts of her. _

_After that, they quickly ate the rest of the fries and left, carrying their hot chocolates with them to the car. _

_The car ride to her dorm was silent, too - this time, however, more companionable. But she was still too aware of her body, when around him. Also, she realized, all night, that he hadn't acted arrogant once. He'd been completely polite to her. Almost too polite, at certain points. Like for instance, on the ice, never pressing against her too long. Never letting her indulge or himself with an prolonged touch. Despite that, he seemed eager to go out with her again, bringing up the idea himself._

_Basically, he had carved himself a first place win, on her personal first date scale._

_She studied his profile, set against the alternating harsh and soft glows of the street and city lights, watched as he worked the manual gear shift, and wished, __wholeheartedly__, that he was the type to kiss on a first date, because he had been blessed with a full set of lips._

_She figured it would be a shame if he didn't use them on some part of her body before the night was over._

_He even followed her inside the building, to her room. She turned to face him as they stopped in front of her door, shucking his jacket and handing it back. _

_He took it back without argument, sporting a small smile -one that less smug than his usual - and she drifted closer to him, almost unconsciously. Just wanting one last brush of something. _

_But he kept his distance, stepping back, __creating __dismay__. "I had fun, Skye."_

_Then he __stepped__ forward, and hope sprung up, had her __scrambling__ to say, "Me too ... Kai." _

_His hand brushed her shoulder, and she leaned into his touch, raising her head towards his. _

_He stared down at her, still, his eyes unreadable, and she concentrated on his mouth so hard, the one thought going through her mind: _Yes! Yes! Yes!

_That immediately turned into, _No! No! No!, _as his hand fell away, and he began departing, headed back down the hall, leaving her with only one las__t low statement:__ "I'll see you Monday." _

_She'd been right before; he did like making people suffer._

* * *

Skye was regressing again, back to performing her best koala bear impression. He'd hoped the relative success of the Bonnie Bennett Rescue Mission would've been enough to amp her up but no dice.

It was 4 p.m., and she was still curled up next to him, asleep. She hadn't stirred since the night before. He knew because he had been conscious for most of it, only able to nab a few hours in the early morning before the pit in his stomach forced him awake.

He laid propped up against the pillows, grimoire in his lap. He flicked through it listlessly as he watched a cooking competition show on TV - four contestants had to make dishes from mystery ingredients and beat out all their competitors until one was left standing. It was something he could get behind.

But he couldn't really focus on it, his mind always drifting elsewhere - usually to the person next to him.

It was just occurring to Kai how much the Prison World had affected Skye. She was quieter and smaller somehow, less caring. Not as brash, not as open.

But maybe that was just towards him.

Not only did she sleep a lot more now, she slept more deeply.

The more he thought about it, the more he realized how much things had changed.

The images assaulted him all at once - Skye singing "Losing My Religion" under her breathe in the car seat next to him. Them laying in bed at night, trying to calm down enough to actually sleep. Sharing some new, exciting literary thing she had discovered, literally throwing the book in his lap, ordering him to look it over so she could solicit his opinion.

Now, her eyes were lackluster, eyes that used to glitter and glint at the sight of him with joy, with lust, with mischief that could've rivaled his own were now weary and wary.

It all amounted to one conclusion, really.

She was defeated.

It was something a sociopathic him would've rejoiced for, destroying someone's spirit, tearing them down - it's what they, he, lived for. But this him, this one with an insufferable conscience and indefatigable feelings, ... it gnawed away at him.

* * *

Skye awoke in stages, first she heard the low hum of the TV and the flipping of pages. Next came the slurping of what she assumed was coffee.

Then Kai muttering, under his breath: "What an idiot...waiting until the last five minutes to cook chicken..."

She cracked a bleary eye open. He was reclining against the headboard, his phone in one hand, a to-go coffee cup in the other from which he sipped, the grimoire open on his lap.

Rubbing her eyes, she sat up.

"Holy bed head, Batman."

She groaned at the sound of his voice; she had had too little reprieve from it.

She removed her hands from her eyes, only to be met with his wide grin.

"Hi," he said.

She grunted and turned away from him, glancing to the TV. Another cooking competition show was on, though this one seemed a little tamer from the one he made her watch the other day - something with Cutthroat in the title, if she remembered correctly. But he had been disappointed with the actual lack of bloodshed and confused at the ridiculous antics the show consisted of.

She noticed the remote laying on the bed, in her periphery.

Quickly, she snatched it up and immediately changed the channel while Kai made a noise of protest at her sudden action.

However, he seemed willing to drop it, probably happy to see actual signs of life from her, because a few seconds later, he began slowly, drawing out his words, "Soooo….I was thinking…."

She felt the bed shift and then his weight leave the bed as he stood.

She looked over her shoulder and watched as he walked to the table in the corner of the room, keeping her in suspense for the next part of his statement.

While he set his grimoire and phone on the table, he continued, "We should go out tonight. Check out the town. Go see a movie."

She paused in her channel surfing quest, squinted at the screen, and read the notification in the corner that advertised what was next. "Well, Dirty Dancing's coming on this channel in a few minutes. Go buy some wine and a pizza."

"I meant a movie from this century, babe. In an actual theater - you know, popcorn, candy, darkness, and people who are really bad at whispering. " Then he frowned, assessing her. "Also, did you know you have a tendency to drink a lot?"

She bit her tongue so she wouldn't snap back with something like, "Did you know you have a tendency to be super annoying?"

He slumped down in one the chairs, propping his feet up on the table. "You know, Valentine's Day is a real downer when you have a depressed girlfriend."

She sighed, throwing the remote back down on the bed in her irritation. "Not your girlfriend, Mal."

He went on as if she had never spoken,"I'm sure the grimoire might have a spell in it that I can perform - something to pep you up."

Alarm spiked within her. "Don't use magic on me unless you have my consent, from now on," she told him vehemently.

"Even if you're in pain or near death?"

"Then you ask first."

"What if you're not in a position to give consent?"

"Then don't do anything."

He gave her his best sarcastic "yeah sure" face.

"I'm serious, Kai."

He waved a hand dismissively.

Fuming, she stood from the bed too and rushed to him, grabbing the grimoire off the table before he could think to protect it. He startled, reaching for it, but she darted away and came to a stop a safe distance away. He stayed seated miraculously, but he gazed at her, stone-faced.

"I will chuck this thing out onto the street and run it over with the car if you don't promise me, Kai," she threatened.

She didn't even know how many times he had performed magic on her in her lifetime and the thought was unsettling. She had thought she had been safe when he supposedly had no capability for magic, but his confessions from the night before were weighing heavily on her mind, making her paranoid. He had had just as much access there apparently as he did when they had gotten out, and he had no qualms using it on her in the last few weeks. She was just beginning to realize what magic meant to her.

Because all she knew of magic was fear and danger and death. All she knew was how easily it took her from everything and everyone she loved.

"Fine," he agreed begrudgingly, but she accepted it. She returned the grimoire back to the tabletop and turned to go back to the bed, but he caught her hand with his, stopping her.

Then he promptly tugged, and she fell into his lap with a gasp.

She sat stiffly as he wrapped his arms around her waist, still keeping ahold of her hand.

"Do you remember back in the day when you used to be really affectionate to me?" he asked softly, his mouth right against her ear. "It really bugged me the first few months we dated, like 'ugh, how do I make her stop?' But after a while it was kinda comforting…you would grab my hand or caress my face. You used to laugh at my jokes, make me laugh." He stroked her knuckles with his thumb as he spoke. His next words took on a wistful tone. "I think I miss your laugh. Mark my words, I'm gonna hear that laugh again, in all its annoying, high pitched, and loud glory." _Only Kai could pull off such a threatening__ly__ playful comment_, she thought.

If she closed her eyes, it was scary how easy it was to imagine it was like the old days. That they were in their old apartment, her biggest worries being her classes, her job, and their bills, and contraception.

Finally, she faced him. "Are you kidding? _You're _the most touchy-feely person I know. A lot like a child, in fact."

The change in him wasn't instantaneous, but it still occurred: his face became melancholic, and he dropped her hand, his arms going limp around her.

And guilt, as backwards and illogical as it was, stabbed at her.

She heaved another sigh and got to her feet. "Let me take a shower first, then we can go do whatever it is you wanted to do."

A huge smile broke through the melancholy, and she shook her head, ignoring the way her jumped in her chest.

* * *

Kai felt oddly jittery as he waited for Skye to get out of the shower. He had dressed quickly and now paced the length of the room, attentive to any sound that emanated from the bathroom.

Suddenly, he didn't know what do with his hands. He stuffed them in his pockets but that too felt awkward as he cursed skinny jeans makers in his head. He tried crossing his arms then letting them hang loosely at his sides.

He hadn't remembered ever feeling this ridiculous in his whole life.

He settled for sitting on the bed, and letting them rest against the edge.

After a few more minutes, she finally opened the door, a rush of stream in her wake.

His mouth dried at the sight, warmth rushing through him.

She wore one of the sundresses he had picked out, though she had initially not seemed very impressed by them. This particular one was a royal blue, short, and cinched at the waist with thin straps forming a loose collar around her neck. She turned around to pull on her shoes and he noted a slit in the back of dress that ran down the length of her back, exposing a strip of skin he wanted to run his fingers over. Her hair hung loose, wavy, long, and thick, draped over her shoulders.

She spun back around and must've caught the look on his face because she stopped in her tracks and chided, "Don't get excited. I'm just tired of wearing jeans and those shitty shirts you got me."

He held up his hands in a gesture of defense as he stood.

Skye swung back around to pick up her jacket and his feet moved of their own volition, carrying him closer to her.

When she turned around again, his freshly laundered blazer in hand, she jumped at his sudden proximity.

Undeterred, he leaned forward, giving her time to back away.

To his satisfaction, she didn't. Only looked at him warily.

By the time his lips brushed against hers, however, her eyes had closed. He knew because his had been open, avidly watching her reaction.

She was reluctant to respond at first, frozen in place, but she gave in, her hands drifting up to hold his jaw.

The kiss was deep and slow. His arms wound around her like vines, ensnaring her, pulling her flush to him.

His fingers trailed lightly down the skin the slit exposed, and she shivered in his arms.

This was his _thank you_, the one he couldn't seem to get past his lips in the form of words.

Then she was pushing at his chest, and he pulled back, breathless. She stayed still, her head down, before she raised it with a brittle smile and held out his jacket.

He took it, shrugging it on, as she headed towards the door.

* * *

"So should I get one or two straws for the milkshake?"

"I don't know, Kai," Skye answered, perusing the menu of diner that Kai had picked out. "Did you just use magic to transport us back to the nineteen fifties? Where we can suck from opposite ends and gaze into each other's eyes?"

Downtown Whitmore was quaint - filled with rows upon rows of shops, restaurants, and bars - and much livelier than she had expected, but it made sense since it was a college town.

"Depends. Does time travel fall into the 'ask about first' category?"

She narrowed her eyes at him, as if to say, "What do you think?"

Kai relented, dropping his eyes back to his own menu. "I'm guessing the answer is one straw."

Luckily, they were saved by the waitress. Kai ordered his milkshake - chocolate. Skye ordered water. Kai ordered the biggest meal on the menu, and Skye settled for the cheapest burger and fries option they had.

They thanked the bubbly waitress and she walked away, promising to put their orders in.

Then an awkward silence reigned.

Kai gazed at her from across the table, his eye alight with mischief and something else - something a bit more warm than usual, resembling the Kai from her dream a few weeks ago.

Skye had been thinking about that dream a lot lately. Maybe it stuck out because it was the only dream she had had for a long time since most of her slumbers were dreamless - a fact that had always been surprising to her, considering the myriad traumas she had endured. She would've expected nightmares.

Maybe she thought about the relatively unscary dream because each day, this Kai - the one that had undertaken the Merge and came out on the other side with empathy - was more like Dream Kai every day.

"Speaking of time travel..." Kai said,"You should tell me what you liked about me back then. The good qualities, I mean."

She was startled, at first, by the sudden request. It seemed out-of-the-blue. It took a moment to respond - she had to contemplate it a way to avoid it. "Like it matters?"

"Tell me," he commanded, but with a sing-song tone so it seemed less harsh.

"I don't know… I guess, you still have those qualities - I just think about them differently."

His brow quirked. "What does that mean?"

She took a deep breathe, taking the time to organize her thoughts and prepare herself to be honest. "I thought you were smart. But I realized that it really meant you were manipulative. Calculating. And then, I thought you were funny, but then that became snide and derisive... Condescending. I had liked that you were a bit unconventional. You know, quirky. But then I realized too that _that _actually meant strange and abnormal."

His smirk had dropped from his face halfway through the statement, and he stared at her for long moments, his face blank. _Uh oh._

"An abomination?" he asked finally, his jaw set.

She knew that was a trigger word for him, and she sighed. "I didn't say that, Kai."

His lips pursed, he looked away from her and out of the window.

_He didn't believe her. _

Bristling, she demanded, "Well, what did you like about me? Besides the fact that I was easy prey apparently..."

His eyes darted back to her. Intense and unreadable. They were a shroud of mystery and, most dishearteningly, impregnable. She felt both desperate to hear his answer and hopeless to stop the panic that she associated with the subject.

* * *

Kai swallowed, felt his nerves from earlier return full force. It seemed like Skye had definitely consulted a dictionary this morning and was putting her degree to the test.

"Did you get your hands on a thesaurus when I wasn't looking?" he quipped, deflecting.

"Kai," she said through gritted teeth, then softening, she added,"Please."

He didn't know the answer exactly.

All he knew was that she had felt _good _in a world where everything else, except magic of course, had felt like...nothing to him.

It had started with a simple touch, and he knew it was going to end with one, with them side by side, as long as he had any say in it. Her comment from earlier came back to him, about him being the most tactile person she knew - he supposed it was an accurate claim where it concerned her.

He was saved from further self-inspection as the waitress returned, plopping their plates and drinks in front of them. She promptly left, with a platitude he didn't bother listening to.

He concentrated on his plate - took a bite of his sandwich, ate a fry, took a sip of his shake before he even bothered to glance back up at Skye.

She waited, her plate untouched, her expression impatient.

His eyes lowered back to his plate and he started pensively, "I _picked _you because you were strong...but I guess I _liked _you because you cared - you cared for things, for people beyond yourself." He exhaled heavily, finally looking back up at her, staring] her right in the eye. "I wanted to change that. I didn't succeed, obviously. For the first time, I'm glad I didn't."

She regarded him, stock-still, her expression guarded. He wasn't even sure she was breathing, until her chest rose and fell noticeably as she released a sound that was somewhere between a gasp and a snort and nodded knowingly.

Then it was her turn to avert her gaze out of the window.

It was when her fingers came up to rub at her eyes that dread crept up his spine. He was not prepared for her tears; he had learned as much a few days before when he had tried his best to offer her solace but had only really succeeded in being an awkward fool, who had really been more worried about quelling his recently rediscovered homicidal rage than assuaging her distress.

"Skye…" he said.

Still turned away, she shook her head, pushed her hair back behind her ears, and took another deep breathe before she faced him again, now the picture of composure. "We should go," she told him, her voice only slightly unsteady. "If we wanna make it to the movie on time…"

She stood from the booth, waiting for him, but her gaze darted around, resting on everything but him.

He eyed her plate then the remainder of his own with something like sorrow, tempted to put his foot down but deciding last minute not to push the issue. He pulled out his wallet and threw a few bills down on the table while she started for the door. He followed after her into the cool night.

* * *

She walked ahead of him, her arms folded across her chest, her shoulders hunched. It would be easy for him to catch up with her, but his newly acquired emotional intuition was sensing some space was necessary for the moment, no matter how much it was making the ache inside him inexplicably worse, no matter how much he didn't exactly understand _why_.

They dodged other people on the sidewalk - some groups already half-drunk and rowdy, others more subdued, but still with an air of excitement about them. They passed storefronts and restaurants, lit from the inside, and filled with vibrant activity.

"Um, babe?" he tried, pointing his thumb in the direction behind him. "You do know the cinema and our car is this way, right?" She didn't acknowledge him, didn't even turn around. He wasn't even sure she had heard him.

He stayed after her, uncharacteristically wordless after that, noting how the provocative slit in her dress was at odds with the sneakers on her feet.

Which made him glance down to his own feet for a second. A second that lasted too long apparently as he glanced up again to see that Skye had disappeared.

He stopped dead on the sidewalk, his eyes flicking frantically, something in his chest faltered. Something that felt vital.

But it restarted when he pivoted around to his right and saw, through the window of a tattoo shop named something punny - something about shades of gray - her standing at the desk, talking with a guy. He inhaled deeply, pressed his fingers to his forehead, and took a moment to calm himself.

He pulled the door open and walked in.

"-can you do something like that?" He caught the tail-end of her question.

The guy behind the counter shrugged. "I can sketch something up. But first I'm gonna need see some I.D."

"Why?" she asked.

"Proof of age."

"I'm fort-twenty-two."

"Well, you look barely seventeen. So I.D."

_She did look young for forty_, Kai thought sardonically. But her physical appearance was the same as it had been for the last twenty years, except….well, she had lost of her womanly fullness, somewhere along the way. Possibly in the last few months.

And he had no inkling of where her I.D. could be - the real one had probably been destroyed by Joshua Parker a long time ago and the duplicate one the Prison World would've created was most likely long forgotten about.

Hell, it was a miracle he had even kept ahold of his for so long, he reflected, recalling how he used it to taunt Liv.

The memory causing another sharpness in his chest he wasn't ready to confront, so he refocused back on the situation at hand.

Skye looked lost.

"Babe?" Kai said.

She whirled around to him, her hands grasping the edge of his jacket. She reached into his interior jacket pocket and pulled out his wallet.

He barely had time to protest before she was back at the desk, shuffling through his wallet.

She slapped three hundred dollars bills on the surface. "How about I give you three hundred now and two after it's done?"

The tattoo guy had his arms crossed at this point, one brow high on his forehead, indicating his bemusement. "Three hundred afterward," he countered.

"Fine," she said.

"Um, babe?" Kai tried to cut in again.

"Let me get the stuff ready," the guy told her, moving from behind the desk, headed to the back of the shop. She nodded then turned to Kai after he'd gone.

"I thought I was the one that was supposed to have the impulsivity issues," Kai said.

She shrugged, a bit sheepishly. "Are you going to try and talk me out of it? Like the first time?"

Kai pursed his lips, considering it. "It's your choice, right?" he finally settled on, after careful deliberation.

He could've sworn her smile was genuine this time.

That's when the guy returned, a tray full of sterile-looking supplies in hand. He walked it over the upholstered chair on the other side of the room, then walked back towards them with a sheet of paper and pen in hand.

"So how did you want it again?" he asked her, sliding in behind the desk again, placing the paper down on its surface, pen at the ready.

"I want it photo-realistic," she began, and Kai watched the concept Skye explained take shape.

Three miniature elephants with incredible detail appeared, arranged in the near-formation of a heart, little blades of grass teasing their feet.

Kai wondered what the significance of the number three could be - he had some good guesses, though.

Skye was quietly delighted with the finished product; he could tell from her impatient to have the process begin already while the tattoo artist took his time preparing.

He watched her now, hunkered down into the specialized, upholstered chair, the strap of her dress pulled down to expose her collarbone and good portion of her chest, on her left side.

The artist laid the stencil over her skin, transferring his rending, and aligning it at the right angle.

Kai swallowed as he prepped his needle with ink.

Then the tattoo artist pressed it to her skin for the first time, and Skye barely reacted, the tensing of her jaw muscles the only give away that she felt anything.

Kai, on the other hand, felt his stomach sank.

He observed closely as the tattoo slowly started to come to life, bursting with color and form, and he was overcome with confusion.

He had _never _formed such a deep attachment to something he felt compelled to represent it on some part of his body.

But he stood in front of a girl that could _easily _place value in even the most mundane things. At one point, had placed value in him. _The abomination. The sociopath._

He promised himself he'd get there again.

He held out his hand to her.

* * *

Kai _offered _his hand, which was unusual. He had always just _grabbed _her hand. Snatched it right up, paid no mind to the fact that it was attached to her body or that it might not be in his right to hold.

She accepted it, after a momentary hesitation, the sting of the needle more vivid and teeth-rattling than she had remembered.

She concentrated solely on _him_, even as he kept his eyes completely fixed on the spot she was receiving her new tattoo.

At first, he appeared composed, if somewhat grim. But slowly, over time, she noticed the subtle changes in him - his complexion paled, giving him an ashen look, a fine sweat broke out on his brow.

She felt the rough brush of a paper towel against her skin - the tattoo artist was wiping away the excess ink and any blood that risen to the surface.

Kai looked away then, his mouth a fine line.

"Do you have a bathroom?" he asked, his words clipped, but he didn't seem to receive an answer fast enough, as he, in the next moment. ripped his hands from hers and dashed out of the front door.

Alarmed, she jerked up from her reclined position, causing the tattoo artist to hiss, "Careful."

She could still see Kai through the window. He was bent over, his hands on his knees, with a puddle of sick at his feet.

"You should've told me your boyfriend can't handle blood," the guy admonished.

"Trust me," Skye replied, nonplussed, the image of him coming through Tyler's door practically soaked in the stuff and grinning like a maniac floating to the forefront of her mind. "He's usually very much the opposite."

The guy shook his head. "Well, let me finish this up." She glanced down to see that he was close to filling in the gray-blue pigment of the last elephant. "Then I will go clean that up."

Skye peered back through the window. Kai had straightened, but then promptly heaved again, this time his vomit splattering the glass of the window.

"Eww, gross, man," the tattoo artist said, disgusted, as he heard the _splat _and looked up.

Skye was less disgusted, more panicked now, and it had to do with the fact that his vomit glistened a bright red, bathed in the fluorescent light from the shop's overhead fixture. A blood red.

* * *

_A/N: Hey guys, so here is the next installment. I fear it's a little boring, since it's mostly about furthering the emotional plot of the story. But it also probably the fluffiest thing you'll ever see, when it comes to these two. _

_Anyway, please let me know what you think, veteran and new readers alike. _

_Sbritt264__: Aww, thanks so much! I hope you like this chapter, since it mostly focused on them. And thanks for your enthusiasm, both for the last chapter and the sneak peek. _

_Sophiewhettingsteel__: Thank you very much! I hope this chapter was exciting, even though not much happened. _

_Guest: Of course, thank you for suggesting it! Really I am indebted to you because I love the O.C. I created for Jake. I can't wait to flush out their story and get it up someday. Jatie was just too forced for my taste. The only time I felt sympathy for her was when it came to her and her kids (I say kids plural because I do think that she was a decent teacher who did care about her pupils). Not for a moment did I feel anything about their relationship. In fact, I think I was trying to hold in laughter while I was watching their final scene (I'm a horrible person.) _

_Hope you like this update, even though nothing really happened, action-wise. The next flashback will reveal all about the pregnancy. I love how suspicious you are about it lol. Yeah, I don't foresee Skye and Bonnie having an easy reunion. _

_Thank you for the congrats and encouragement and understanding about my job!_

_NiNa5__: Thank you! Hope you like this one, since it's the full length chapter. _

_Vasya: Thanks! Now as for him siphoning magic from various objects in the Prison World, I always thought, like many others probably, that since Bonnie could access the magic from Silas's gravestone in the prison world that there were probably thousands of other ways to access magic in there. We're talking about a whole world, probably full of many covens' various magical objects spread out across it. I think Kai, with his background, would have some knowledge of it and be able to find them. I know the show writers love limiting themselves when it comes to portraying witchcraft and covens on the show, and that was just my attempt to try and expand the world and the possibilities of the world a bit more._

_Skye feels betrayal at the end because he had just told her that he tried to leave the Prison World without her several times. She was hurt that he tried to leave her behind, on these occasions, especially since he was so adamant that she come along with him while they were trying to leave with Bonnie and Damon. She just really wasn't expecting that. _

_I would love to hear your theories about "Kai Jr." And you will see what happens to him or her next chapter. So you do like the new nicknames? _

_WickedlyMinx: Lol, thank you! You will see what happens to the baby next chapter. _

_ .2016__: Thank you! Also, thanks for commenting on the sneak peek. I hope you like it. _

_: Glad I could clear things up for you! Btw, lol at their "weird relationship thing." This is definitely what it is. Kai isn't in the 1903 prison world just yet. I'm glad you enjoyed the first half of the flashback, I hope you enjoy the rest and the rest of the whole chapter. _

_YoCupcake__: Thank you so much! Hope you like this one too, though not much happened. _

_Yeah, I can't even look at pictures of Damon (or Ian Somerhalder for that matter) without wanting to throw up now. Which is funny cuz he was the only reason I wanted to watch the show in the first place and (I'm ashamed to admit) he was my favorite character for a long time. But he got old quick, when Kai came on to the scene for me lol. Then I got involved with the Bonkai family and you lovely ladies enlightened me._

_I had not noticed that he wasn't in your stories, but now that you pointed it out - I see it. I guess I did not miss his absence lol. _

_Thank you for your support and lovely writing! I'm still trying to find the time to catch up with stories, and I noticed that you updated Captive the other day. So I am hoping to catch up with it and review more of it as well soon. _

_Khari: I hope you did well on your boards! I'm glad this fic could be the "light" at the end of the tunnel for you. I hope you like this flashback, even though we take a break from the Prison World. _

_I have a theory about how her pregnancy is possible, and it has to do with Papa Parker. I think, being as paranoid as they portrayed him to be, that he would've monitored Kai while he was in the Prison World. And, falling within my theory, he might've stood to benefit from a pregnancy, and so could've allowed it to happen. _

_As for what happens to the pregnancy, I wouldn't think the worse of Kai just yet. _

_Thanks for mentioning the part about Seattle because it will come back later, and it is an important metaphor. _

_I hope the happenings of this chapter were exhilarating as well, when it comes to them trying to act like a "normal" couple. I fear it's a little boring, 'cause it's more about emotional development, but I think it's necessary. _

_Skendo__: Thank you for the feedback! I hope you like the rest. As for how I'm going to handle the whole 1903 Prison World thing, I planned to deviate from canon almost completely. I was gonna try to explore a path where Skye actually gets to revisit her past and gain closure, with Kai by her side as a supporter and not an obstacle. And I felt like the TVD writers did themselves a disservice not only to the show, but to Kai's character when they completely decimated his redemption arc and made him relapse back into sociopathy. Believe if he were to come to the wedding as he did, seeking vengeance, stabbing his sister and unborn nieces, committing genocide to his entire coven just to become a Heretic, and mortally wounding Bonnie, Skye would absolutely want nothing to do with him. That would not make for a very good reunion. _

_I could always change how he reacts the situation, but then, for as much as I did hate his reaction, I do think it was in character for him to lash out at rejection. _

_Anyway, there's still time to contemplate what I'm going to do exactly but I will keep your suggestions in mind. _

_Bbymojo__: Lol, thanks! Hope you like it. _

_Lost'n'whatnot__: That's awesome! Thank you for telling me your opinion about previews, maybe I will post them more often then. _

_PrincessMagic: Thanks! I hope you like the full chapter. _


	20. Chapter 20 - NEW FULL VERSION

Set before and during 6x15, "Let Her Go"

I've been trying to keep my grip, yeah I think I'm over this  
I can hear it now, oh no  
Yeah, my tongue, I'll let it slip, why'd I do those things I did?  
I can taste it now, oh no

I'll try my best, how much do I invest?  
Like cardiac arrest, high voltage in her lips  
I'll try my best, how much do I invest?  
Like cardiac arrest, high voltage when we kiss

My innards turn, your eyes, they roll, I'll be there to take the fall  
I can feel it now, oh no  
Same old story since day one, but I've got no place to run  
I can see it now, oh no

High voltage in her lips, they catch me when I slip

"Cardiac Arrest" by Bad Suns

**Trigger warning: miscarriage, depiction of miscarriage, mentions of miscarriage (sorry guys, but it was the only thing that made sense : ( and please don't read the flashback if this kind of thing upsets you to read about) **

Chapter 20 - I'll Try My Best

_May 10, 1994_

"_Um, __babe? Remind me again why we're here-" Kai tilted his head, regarding the overcrowded corner of Westminster Abbey with disdain, "-staring__ at a bunch of dead white guys'__ statues__?__"_

_He was stretched out on a pew, his feet propped up on top of the one in front of him. _

_Skye didn't appear to have heard him, too transfixed by a wall of memorial plaques she was reading._

"_How do you feel about the name Henry?" she asked him a moment later, her hand resting on her stomach, her barely-there bump. "Oh or maybe Henri. Something French since I'm pretty sure that's where, you know... he was conceived."_

_Kai remembered vividly. _

_He also recalled that she had not allowed him to touch her since Spain - ever since Kai had dropped bombshell, the plan he had really had for their future, she had been extra wary of him._

_It frustrated him, almost as much as the inane tourist attraction he was currently suffering. _

"_Kai?" she prompted, facing him. _

"_I don't know, as parents with names like Kai and Skyler, I think it would be an injustice to name him _Henry_." Kai punctuated the name with extra scorn._

_Kai stood and sauntered over until he was behind her, eyeing the wall of names. Some he recognized from his high school English class but most were foreign to him. _

"_Besides what if it's a girl?" he asked. "All of these people are males."_

"_George Eliot was a woman, actually."_

_Kai frowned. _

"_And before you ask, yes really. It was a pen name. Shows how much attention you paid in English class. And, besides, who says we can't name a girl a male name. What's gonna stop us? All these hordes of judgmental people?" she asked rhetorically, sweeping one hand out to indicate the gorgeously gothic but entirely empty, eerily lonely space behind them. _

"_You do realize we have months to decide a name for the spawn?" he said. He had estimated her at 13 weeks just the day before, which meant they still had roughly six months left. "In the meantime, we should head over to the Tower of London." _

"_First, it's only a spawn because you're it's father. Second, I'm not going to the Tower of London with you because the last thing you need is to be near a medieval torture device and the last thing I need is to be put up on a rack."_

_He stepped closer to her, his front aligning with her back, his arms enclosing around her._

_She was tense in his hold, her hands quick to try and restrain his. _

_His nose dipping along her neck, pulling his hands up to brush her hair aside, he breathed her in, taking in her scent of pomegranates and vanilla, he murmured, "I like your parts too much to stretch them out."_

_His mouth latched onto her neck, on the sensitive spot only he knew how to manipulate. He sucked, sunk his teeth into the sensitive flesh of her throat, laved his tongue along her skin._

_She fell back against him, pliant now. Internally, he snickered. _

She was too easy sometimes.

_His hand slipped down and unfastened her jeans. _

"_You do realize this is a church right?" she huffed out; he felt her vocal cords vibrating against his mouth. "A very old, very famous one."_

_Kai made no reply as his mouth was still occupied. _

_As she squirmed, grabbing his hands again before they strayed to commit more indecent actions, she continued, "I would say we're going to hell, but-"_

"_We're already there?" he finished the sentence for her as he came up for air. "Let me guess, I'm the devil?" _

_He was met with her breathless chuckle. "That would be an insult to the devil."_

_Letting out a mock-gasp, he spun her around, eliciting a real gasp from her. He only grinned devilishly down at her, playing the part. Her only reaction was a wide smile in return - one that spoke of sheepish defeat - before he covered her mouth with his own, forestalling the opportunity for any more conversation, simultaneously dragging her back towards the pews, with only the very unsaintly intention to bend her over them in mind. _

* * *

_Kai was on a mission on the streets of London._

_He had left Skye soaking in the luxurious bathtub back at the trendy flat they had been squatting in. They had been slumming it lately, Skye expressing a wish to take a break from the manor houses, mansions, and palaces they had visited and stayed. _

_He was using the time to follow up on a lead he had about a magical artifact - an eleventh century sword imbued with dark magic that might've had belonged to William the Conqueror. _

_As he neared Piccadilly Circus, his pager beeped._

_Brow furrowed, Kai pulled it from his pocket. A number flashed across the LCD display. _

_Huh, he guessed she had finally worked out the European phone system. _

_He ignored it and the prickle of annoyance it brought; he also ignored each telephone booth he came across, which was a lot considering he was in a city famous for them. _

_His pager beeped at him intermittently, even while he was on his knees in a dusty crypt at a witch cemetery, searching a hidden vault. _

_After a disappointing search, several hours later, he returned to the apartment he left Skye at. It was nearing dusk and his vision was limited in the semi-darkness. _

"_Skye?" he called, peeling off his jacket and throwing it on the carpet. _

_He swore if he found her still in the bathtub, shriveled up like a prune..._

_He knocked on the bathroom door. _

"_Skye?"_

_There was no answer. He tried the doorknob and was grateful she hadn't locked it - it was a bad habit she had that irritated him. _

_When he opened the door, he didn't see her immediately, the bathtub empty of occupant but still full of water. _

_His eyes swept the room, adjusting to the dim light, and then she was there all at once - naked, huddled against wall, blood on her thighs, her face pale and distant. Her hair was dry but scraggly, it's strands never brushed out. _

_Bewildered, he dragged his eyes away from her for a moment and spotted more blood streaks on the floor. _

_He came forward and was now able to see the blood in the tub - the clots and swirls made up a macabrely artistic picture. _

_It wasn't the first time Kai discovered Skye covered in blood like this - sometimes _he _was the one that left her like that, _but _he had to remind himself that no matter how many times he hanged himself or put a shotgun to his head that Skye committed random suicide at twice the rate he did in their forsaken world - so he bit his tongue, hard, tasting the metallic tang of his own blood, before he sighed and asked, "Did you do this on purpose?"_

_Upon her look of horror, Kai wanted to backtrack but he had a horrible suspicion. _

_He was getting that feeling again - that rage that seemed uncontainable and singular, tinged with a bitterness he couldn't exactly pinpoint. _

_It reminded him of the first time he had killed her, beat her with a baseball bat, just hours after he had done the same to Eva, his sister, all the while thinking that Skye didn't deserve it - she wasn't like Eva. She had never sneered at him, had never called him "freak!" or "psycho!", had never locked him out of the house during winter, had never taunted him with magic. _

_But she, _Skye_, had fucking _ran _from him and it felt worse. _

_After it was done, and she laid at his feet, her body completely unrecognizable, he could only speculate about what constituted the highest point in Salem, Oregon and entertain the desperate desire he had to jump off of it. _

_He picked the interior copula of the art-deco Capitol Building. When he came to on top of the blood-spattered state seal, he harbored the same rage - a rage that was still twisted and gnarled and ugly and seething and raw. _

"_What?" Skye said breathlessly, now, bringing him back to the moment. _

_Brutally, he proceeded, "I mean, am I gonna find a dirty coat hanger around here if I look hard enough?" _

_Her face crumpled, her mouth falling open. _

"_Your first instinct is to accuse me, Kai, seriously?" she questioned lowly, an undercurrent - something akin to disbelief - present in her tone._

_Carefully, she rose, stopping only to bend and grab a towel from the floor, wrapping it around herself. She walked past him, leading a path of bloody footprints towards the door. He followed her into the bedroom where she had already dropped her towel and was frantically rooting around for clothes, pulling on the necessities - plain shorts and a t-shirt. He watched with crossed arms, keeping himself in check. _

"_What do you expect me to think, Skye?" he shot at her finally, his voice deceptively steady, but there was no disguising the mocking quality. "You're not panicking, you don't seemed shocked."_

_She swung around, her hands flying up in anger. "I was panicking hours ago when I paged you. And paged you and paged you. I was freaking out because something I didn't understand was happening to me, and I couldn't count on you to help me. I was in horrific pain and bleeding and all you did was confirm for me why this was a bad idea in the first place. I should've known-" she paused, seemingly losing steam. Her hand covered her mouth, and she looked down at the floor, deliberately hiding her face from him. And Kai, with tight chest, wanted to lash out - it would be so easy to lunge at her and erase the evidence of the loss - the dried blood still staining her legs - with new blood, with fire, with something that made him feel better - no, not better - _calmer. In control_. _

_And it was truly a herculean feat for Kai to deny his impulses, to walk away, to leave her unharmed, to not give in and go back on his word, but he did - slowly, he turned away from her and walked out, all the while wondering what constituted the highest point in London._

* * *

_Disappointment was never an emotion she had never associated with Kai before- well, with feeling for Kai before. Disappointment meant she had had expectations in the first place, and it was foolish to ever believe in someone who wasn't even capable of being real._

_So no her disappointment had to be with herself._

_She was disappointed that she believed anything could ever be different or _good _ in the Prison World. _

_It was a misery she contemplated as she sobbed in the bedroom of some else's London flat._

_He never bore witness to her breakdowns - to the gut wrenching sobs and the destructive, hysterical tantrums - maybe, like the cold-blooded creature he was, he could predict the onslaught of foreign human emotion and took the opportunity to flee before it could get the chance to rub itself off on him. _

_More likely, she waited until she was sure he was gone before she succumbed to her vulnerabilities. _

_But this experience was different - more traumatic. This grief was new - fresh. It was an addition to the grief she already felt daily. But that grief was easier to deal with - it was just a dull, fractured ache now, with three names. _This _\- this grief - was a gaping wound with no name. _

_She was disappointed - disappointed with herself in the fact that she wasn't fit to carry the one thing that could save them both. _

* * *

_He found her a week later, as she slumped, hunched over the railing of Hungerford bridge, framed against the London Eye and the setting sun, regarding the Thames below._

"_I'm not jumping in after you," he greeted. _

"_Wouldn't expect you to," she countered automatically. _

_He joined her, leaning his forearms against the railing. _

_They were silent for awhile, the rushing water soothing to her, a contrast to the stifling, heavy energy Kai projected at the moment. _

"_So where to now?" he finally broke the silence, blase as ever. "I'm thinking we should take a detour from Europe for the time being, venture over to some African or Asian countries." _

_Skye blinked against the rare sunlight shining in her eyes. _

"_Babe," he prompted when she didn't respond. _

_She sighed, an exaggerated one that had him clenching his fists. "I don't care, Kai."_

_He laughed shortly. "You do care because as I pick a place for us to go, you'll complain about my choice and it's a little hard to chart a new course when you're at 30,000 feet." _

_Rolling her eyes, Skye shrugged, remaining in her slumped position. _

_Kai glanced down at their feet where a half-empty vodka bottle rested. _

_He crouched down and picked it up. "I'm guessing it's too much to hope that you didn't touch one of these before the other night."_

_She reared back, indignant. "Are you kidding me? More accusations?"_

"_I'm just trying to understand how you could be perfectly healthy one minute and miscarrying in another."_

_She scoffed, even as her heart clenched painfully in her chest. "That's usually how accidents happen, Kai. They're occur unexpectedly and they devastate. They're not always someone's fault."_

"_Are you sure about that?" The doubt in his tone taunted her. _

"_Of course! It was not something I would do on purpose, because, unlike you, I do not have a reckless disregard for human life."_

_His nostrils flared and he stared at her, his expression darkly intense. _

_She stared back, unflinching. _

_Finally, he backed down, gazing out across the landscape. "My mom had a few, I think, in between Isaac and Olivia and Lucas. But I could never tell if they were accidents. I think she just wanted a break sometimes." _

"_Miscarriage is not uncommon, Kai," she offered, drawing on a woman's perspective, but she had to wonder if his mom's really were accidents too, given what she knew of his family's history. _

"_Oh well," he shrugged nonchalantly. "I guess it just means we have to try again." _

_And that was the absolute last thing she wanted to do or ever entertain the possibility of again, but she said nothing. Her wish would be revealed in her eventual resistance, but it was no use arguing now. _

"_Amsterdam," she said instead. "I want to go to Amsterdam before we leave the continent." _

_She was gonna need all the weed she could get her hands on because she deserved a break for the moment - a manufactured happiness. _

* * *

The chill on her skin was bone deep and alien, as was the manic feeling humming in her veins.

Skye glanced down to see Kai's sleeping face looking back at her, just as pale and sweaty as the night before. He lay, sprawled out in front of the toilet, his head propped up on her crossed legs.

The ache in her back was insistent, borne of her unfortunate choice to stay slumped against the bathtub for several sleepless hours so as not to disturb the figure using her as a pillow.

She tried to shift positions, sitting straighter, cursing her limbs, which had been asleep and were now currently shooting pins and needles through her entire body.

Kai stirred, and she stilled.

He only grimaced, and then turned on his side, burying his face more firmly against her knee.

She leaned back and surveyed him, thinking of the night before.

"You should take him to the hospital," the tattoo artist had helpfully suggested,only after he'd had taken his sweet time finishing her tattoo, with her sitting stiff with alarm in the chair, the only thing keeping her from jumping out it the dismissive waves Kai gave her through the window, signaling his relatively "okay" state of being.

The tattoo had only made the suggestion after he finished up her tattoo, dressed it and gave her specific, long-winded instructions for proper treatment, then went outside, and caught sight of just what substance was splattered against his storefront.

Kai had immediately protested, which did not please the guy. He had basically kicked them out after that, not even wanting the other half of his payment, though Skye had tried to give it to him.

She had managed to get Kai back to the car, where he threw up twice more in the passenger seat floorboard. When they arrived back at the motel, he instantly staggered for the bathroom.

She followed after him, watching from the doorway in pity as he kneeled at the toilet seat and retched a third time.

"Okay, maybe the hospital is a good idea," she interjected after the fourth time. She had already moved from her position by the door and sat on the edge of the bathtub beside him, her hand on his back, attempting to give comfort - what started off as an awkward pat soon morphed into a soothing circular pattern.

Kai groaned as he lifted his head. "No."

"Kai…"

"I don't think the problem is medical," he told her.

Skye's felt her brow furrow, and she pondered for a moment. "You think it's magical?"

He looked like he was on the verge of answering, but then another round came up, his cheeks puffing out. He hid his face in the toilet and expelled once again.

She sighed, concern and frustration warring inside of her. She waited until he had raised his head back up, his expression miserable, before she spoke. "Mal, puking up blood is never a good sign, no matter the exact cause of it."

He winced, backing away from the toilet bowl, and sat back against the wall. Finally, he met her eyes and shrugged. "I probably just overdid it the other day with all those spells to bring Bonnie back….should pass by morning."

She studied him, looking for hints of deception, but all she saw were still signs of sickness - his complexion was still off, his brow glistening, his mouth twisted. He gazed back at her, heavy-lidded.

"You know, there is one good thing about this situation, babe," he said gravely.

She could only shake her head in dissent, stifling a mirthless laugh about the irony of the statement and the manner in which it was made.

Incongruently, a wide, goofy grin suddenly broke out across his face. "You've been rubbing my back."

She rolled her eyes. "Great, now you're delirious from blood loss."

However, he grew quiet after that as he closed his eyes and leaned his head against her legs.

He drifted into a fitful sleep, the muscles in his jaw clenching and unclenching for some time before they relaxed completely.

Somehow, someway, through the hazy night where she tried and failed to get anything resembling sound sleep, she had found herself on the floor, supporting his head in her lap.

Now, she gazed down at him, her hand coming up before she could stop herself, her fingers threading through his hair. She observed the prominent black bags under his eyes, in sharp relief against the harsh fluorescent of the light above.

God, she wanted to hate his face.

Her finger drifted over one smooth eyebrow and then traced the contour of his nose, before her knuckles brushed against his lower lip.

She had the sudden, vivid image of raking her nails viciously down one cheek, but

she shook herself, banishing the image.

Abruptly, his eyes snapped open, wide and wild. And she snatched her hand back, embarrassed at having been caught in the intimate act.

He bolted up, the stream of blood leaving his mouth splattering the rim of the toilet and the tile of the floor.

She hurried, haphazardly dodging the sick puddles, leaving him heaving on the floor. Once back in the main room of their motel room, she went to his jacket on the bed and fished out his phone.

She was stunned momentarily, when she accidentally swiped her thumb across the screen and unlocked it, seeing his choice of background for the first time - it was her...and him. A picture taken at an awkward angle, depicting her asleep, her hair askew, and him curled up next to her, his lips puckered, holding a lock of her hair across his top lip, creating a fake moustache.

She wished this was the creepiest thing she could accuse him of, but it wasn't - not by a long shot.

Shaking her head, she returned to the bathroom, holding up the device, as he continued to dry-heave over the toilet rim.

"We're calling someone," she told him firmly. "Because it's morning now and this -" she gestured at the display before her- "obviously isn't passing like you said it would. In fact, this looks worse."

He had stopped while she spoke, his chest heaving. Gingerly, he stood from his crouched position, brushing the back of his hand over his month. He shook his head, now rubbing his fingers over his eyes.

"What about your sister?"she ventured. "I know you said it's magical rather than medical. But wouldn't she be an expert on both?"

"She's also an expert on hating me and wanting me dead," he said, with a thin smile. "So I doubt that's an option either. Also, for the record, sissy was never really big on magic. I'm betting whatever little magical education she had has only diminished in the last eighteen years."

"Well, I guess we'll found out," Skye said, before she found Jo in his list of contacts and called her.

She held out the phone to Kai, who only glowered weakly back at her.

She shook it insistently just as Jo's voice rang out, "Hello?"

He took it, and then looking nervous, pressed the device to his ear. "Hi...Jo," he said unsurely.

There was a pregnant pause just before there was a bang and muffled, indistinct voices in the background.

"Jo?" he inquired.

Another bang sounded followed by a unmistakable gagging noise. Then the phone beeped and Kai pulled it from his ear to examine the screen. It read: "Call Ended."

Skye's initial confusion at the bizarre, incomplete call became worry. "I'll guess a house call is next," Skye said decisively, not even waiting for Kai's opinion before leaving the bathroom.

"Wait, did you see our selfie? Did you like it?" Kai called after her.

* * *

It wasn't until they hit the light of day that Skye really noticed the stubble on his cheeks, rough new growth that didn't complement his ashen appearance.

It wasn't until they were in the car and driving that she realized she should've learned from her experiences the night before and brought a plastic bag along, if only to save the floorboards and other cars passing by them from a disturbing sight - him with his head stuck out the window, puking on the road as they moved like a sick dog.

She was relieved when they reached Jo's apartment complex. When it looked like Kai might have not as been as steady as he let on, the sickness affecting his balance, she let him put an arm around her shoulders and tried to steer him as best she could.

In a few minutes, heeding his helpful directions, they arrived at their destination.

She knocked tentatively on the door then instantly returned her hand back to its original position against his ribs.

Kai scoffed, "You're gonna have to knock harder than that, babe."

"Must not be too sick if you're still able to snark at me," she grumbled.

Yet his still pallid complexion kind of ruined her allegation.

He reached up and pushed a white button next to the door that Skye had failed to see. They heard a bell ring inside. She waited impatiently, her nerves surging back to the forefront.

The door opened, revealing Alaric.

Kai barely got out "hey" before the door was swinging shut again. Quickly, he stuck his foot in the dwindling gap, saying, "Wait, wait, wait," while Skye braced her hand against the door.

"Please, Alaric," she said.

Alaric pulled the door back, his face expressionless.

"Look," Kai began. "I know you hate me, but I really, _really _need to see my sister."

"I think she'll pass," Alaric told him coldly, the door in motion again.

Kai made a noise of protest, before Jo's steely voice cut through the commotion, "What are you doing here?"

Through the gap, Skye finally saw Jo as she stood in a robe, her arms crossed defensively, her face stern.

Kai pushed the door back and Alaric allowed him this time, .

"I called to tell you I was sick and you-... you hung up on me," Kai explained, crossing his arms as well, but in a more sheepish manner. He appeared cowed in the presence of his sister.

"Because I have food poisoning," she told him, slowly coming forward. "Did the sound of me vomiting on the other end of the line not clue you in?"

Kai sighed. "Look, there's an issue I've been worried about since The Merge - 'cause you didn't really do it, right? You know, the whole, 'you're not my twin, hey that's okay, close enough,' plan."

It was so subtle Skye almost didn't even notice it - Jo's single exhale, the brief flash of despair in her eyes that signified the weight of just one of myriad tragedies she'd incurred in her lifetime.

"But it worked, which, you know, cool. Hey," Kai was oblivious, directing his attention to Alaric. "I'm even a little bit nice now, in case you were wondering."

"Move on," Skye suggested quietly when all he received was an sarcastic face back from Alaric and an aggravated look from Jo.

Kai glanced back at Skye, seeming at a lost. She tilted her head back at the other pair insistently.

"But I've been waiting for the other shoe to drop," Kai finally continued, his face becoming more and more pinched, like he was physically holding something back. "And well I think it's dropped. Because I'm - ..." Kai paused, cleared his throat, and lowered his gaze to the ground.

"Trash can, grab one," Skye interjected quickly just as Kai simultaneously asked, "Where's the bathroom?"

Jo and Alaric barely had time to look alarmed before a stream of blood burst from Kai's mouth, landing on Alaric as the latter jumped in surprise and shouted.

"Oh, God," Jo exclaimed, as Alaric hurriedly reached for a rustic, empty vase by the door.

He shoved the vase at Kai with a disgusted,"Here."

Kai clutched the rim as he crouched down, still vomiting. Skye put her hand on his back, resting it in the spot between his shoulder blades, as Alaric regained his distance.

Skye glanced up at Jo, catching the woman's perturbed expression, watching as her hands came up to cover her mouth.

"I don't think you have food poisoning," Kai declared, his face still buried in the vase.

He sniffled and sat up, leaning one hand on the door knob for balance. "I was supposed to merge my magic with you. But I got Luke's instead."

Breathing heavily, he wiped his mouth on his arm sleeve. "Now I'm defective." He stood and Skye's hand fell to her side. "And I think that's why you're sick."

Jo still appeared distressed, her eyes focused away from Kai, having already figured out for herself the direness of the situation.

"I kinda feel like I'm dying, actually. And if I die, so do you. Dad. Liv. And the rest of our dumb coven. _So_...could you please fix me? Like now," Kai begged.

It felt a lot like typical Kai manipulation, except it was half-hearted, lacking it's usual finesse, it's devil-may-care tone. It was more earnest. More beseeching.

And Skye felt like that was why Jo ultimately agreed, just nodding her head wordlessly, her hand still covering her mouth.

* * *

Jo peered into Kai's eyes with her ophthalmoscope, as he sat on top of the examination table Skye herself had used not too long ago.

"Any joint pain?" Jo questioned.

"Nuh-uh."

"Headaches?"

"No."

She straightened, eyeing him mock-critically. "You pregnant?"

The look Kai gave her was his patented unamused and disapproving one, one Skye was no stranger to. "Stop making jokes. I feel like I'm being scrunched from inside out."

Everything was a joke to him until it concerned his well-being.

Jo grabbed her otoscope and held it up to his ear.

"This is kinda private," Kai said, scowling at Alaric. "Does your baby boo need to be here?"

"Why not? Your's is." Alaric countered, sliding a look over to Skye.

She shuffled her feet, uncomfortable. "Pretty sure that's not an accurate label... whatever the hell it means."

"Besides, I'm not leaving her alone with you so deal with it," Alaric contended.

Sighing, Jo stepped in front of Kai, blocking Alaric from his sight. "Okay, your vitals are fine. Your temperature is normal. I'll wait on pathology but there's nothing medically wrong with you."

"Yeah, duh, because I'm _magically _diseased," Kai retorted, giving his sister a narrowed-eyed look, one that had Skye bristling, before the look changed to speculative one the longer he examined his sister's irritated expression. "Wait, you haven't puked in at least - " he broke off abruptly, as speak of the devil, his neck flexed.

"Oh!" Jo sprung into action more quickly this time, anticipating Kai's vomit. She had a trash can under his mouth in under a second, and one hand on his shoulder to keep him from falling off the table. Skye grabbed a hold of his other shoulder to help stabilize him.

Skye saw as his arm came out, grabbing onto his sister's for more leverage.

Instantly, Jo winced and groaned out, Skye also catching sight of just what was causing her pain - Kai's hand glowed orange where it came into contact with her covered arm.

"Kai, stop-" she started, reaching out to remove it but she wasn't as quick as Alaric who rushed forward with an aggrieved "Hey!" and forcibly separated them.

Kai dropped the trash can to the ground. Bent at the waist and panting heavily, he tried to catch to breathe.

Straightening, with his lips bright red, he said, "Whoa... I feel better."

He was thinking quickly, Skye could tell from the way his eyes roved the floor, while Alaric stood protectively in front of Jo, who sported an affronted expression.

"Kai, whatever you're thinking-" Skye entreated, but she was interrupted by Jo.

"Yeah, because you juice-boxed my magic!"

"Sorry about that - that was an accident, but I - wow, I legitimately feel better."

That calculating gleam entered his eyes as he stared at his sister.

"Kai-" Skye tried once again.

"You need to give me your magic," he announced, heedless of her.

"_What?" _His sister's question was less a question, more an incredulous exclamation.

Kai reached for a tissue to wipe his mouth. "This full merge is clearly failing." He stood, and Alaric followed his motion, shielding Jo even more from him. But Kai was too excitedly-agitated to notice. Skye stepped in front of him, placing a halting hand on his chest, but he just proceeded, over her shoulder. "Because I was supposed to get your magic, right? So just, - I don't know - I don't know. Just put it in a teddy bear or a bedpan or whatever and gimme." He threw his hand out, past her, and she clenched her eyes shut in aggravation, taking a step back.

Alaric seized his hand, instantly threatening. She heard Kai's knuckles crack. "Listen, I could just as easily break seven little bones in your hands with one good squeeze, okay?"

Kai sized him up, his expression blank. "I can see you're skeptical, Ric," Kai said finally, moving to extract his hand. Ric released him easily. "Can I call you Ric?" Kai then fist bumped him. "Hey, buddy, but here's the thing you need to know. Jo only survives if I do, okay?" Alaric seemed disheartened by this reminder. "And if that's not enough for you, you know the power that binds the Prison Worlds comes from the leader of the Gemini Coven." He sighed dramatically. "If I die, the worlds collapse, alright?"

Skye went cold with realization. Alaric brushed a hand over his face in frustration.

"I see vacancy. Would you like me to start over with single syllables?" Kai carried on cattily.

"Shut up, please," Skye deadpanned.

"See, she gets it," Kai said, pointing to her.

"Did you say Prison Worlds, as in more than one?" Alaric asked finally, seeming like he was unwilling to digest the information.

"Has no one ever mentioned that?" Kai said with only the slyest of expressions on his sweaty, pallid face.

Skye wanted to punch him.

Alaric only shook his head, then grabbed Jo's hand and led her from the room. Jo simply tossed one last look behind as she exited, her expression one Skye found hard to read.

"Looking forward to your decision," Kai called after them.

Skye was quiet in the wake of this - his declaration and his show. She put her back to him and took deep breaths, trying to calm herself and stop herself from starting something she didn't really want to finish.

After she composed herself, she turned around and surveyed him. He was back on the examination table, bracing his arms against the edge, looking relaxed.

She must've been conveying more in her expression than she realized because Kai prompted, "What?" It was defensive, almost raising her hackles.

She sighed, offhandedly. She ran her fingers along the edge of the examination table, striving for unaffected. "Nothing…just- I guess it's nice to see manipulation still comes secondhand - even to the supposedly reformed you."

"Do you want me to die?" he demanded, jaw clenched. A question he always posed to defend himself.

She answered with a mulish silence, not even wanting to dignify the question with a response. _He should know by now_, was her stray thought, her one weakness in this crooked relationship of theirs. She chose to tell him instead, "I'm just saying there are nicer ways to ask her for her magic. Ones that don't involve the phrase 'gimme.'"

He scrutinized her, his eyes narrowing in a much more mischievous way than when he had been riling up his sister. "So, following that logic…" His arms whipped out, grabbing her around the waist. He pulled her to him and she barely had time to fight back before he had her pinned, trapped against him, his knees squeezing her hips. "If I asked you to be mine again _nicely_, would you agree?"

Her face now in much closer proximity to his than before, she stared at him, stunned, her hands limply resting on his chest. For several long moments, the only sound heard in the examination room was the sound of the dripping faucet in the corner and the muffled activity outside of the door.

"You're deflecting," she accused finally.

"And you're deflecting by telling me that I'm deflecting," he countered glibly, titling his head in that too-innocent way that had her nervous.

Her head spinning, she shot out,"What are you even asking?"

"Just be my girlfriend again…officially, I guess. I mean, we're so meant to be even our names rhyme. And I think my new buddy Ric ships us."

At her furrowed brow, he explained, "It's an internet thing - when you want two people to be together..." he trailed off when she shook her head in exasperation.

"I thought we never technically broke up?" she questioned, remembering having a very similar discussion in the Prison World not too long ago.

"We were in your eyes, and I wanna respect that," he said, the solemnity in his voice unmistakable.

She gawked at him now, disbelieving. "I've been shacked up in a motel with you for weeks. I made a promise to stay by your side. What more could you possibly want?"

"I want... _us_," he divulged, his tone thoughtful but confident, its timbre soft, his mercurial eyes dropping down to her mouth then traveling back up, seeming to focus on her face but without really meeting her eyes. "The us we were before. When you used to disguise the weird looks you gave me, when you used to share your thoughts with me. When you used to look at me with something other than..._hate_ or disgust." He smiled ruefully, as his hand drifted up, brushing her hair back from her face, his eyes following his motion.

_I want Skye to look at me like she used to_.

His words rang in her head.

What he was really asking was if she could treat him like she did before he snapped. Which really meant he was asking her to overlook 18 years of betrayal, abuse, torture, violence, and murder.

"So you want me to commit to another twenty years of whatever you decide to throw my way?" She stilled his hand with her own, forcing him to meet her eyes.

"I wanna atone for you, Skye," he told her, his voice like gravel, his eyes grave. He looked away from her across the room, his tone lightening as he continued, "And if it takes that many years or more to do it, then so be it." He swallowed, his head bowed down like he couldn't believe the words that were actually leaving his mouth.

And the scariest thought was that she was ready to commit some more time to him - she was perhaps not necessarily willing to completely overlook the past, but work through it. Yet the mere thought of doing so sent her stomach churning - with fear, with shame. No one would around understand her decision to stand by him. She didn't even understand the desire she had to, after _everything_.

Distressed, she let out a shaky exhale. "I wanna believe you," she confessed, which had his head whipping back up but she avoided his gaze. She felt too disturbed by the thought, by the fact she'd unintentionally revealed the truth to him, even as the speech he'd just given reminded her a little too much of the one he'd given Bonnie down in the cave, when he was trying to convince her to play nice and let them go home, right before he drugged them.

When she finally allowed herself to look into his eyes again, she was met with implacability.

* * *

In her eyes, vulnerability revealed itself for Kai to see, the vulnerability she was always prone to carefully conceal in his presence. The kind that spoke of her unguarded desires for them, but also showed her fear of him, and it affected him more than any of the small victories she had been granting him recently. It was a big progression, this confession; it required some semblance of trust. He was - elated by it? - whatever it was, it was an almost overwhelming emotion ... so much so that he couldn't put a stop to the grin creeping up on his face. He would make her believe in his sincerity sooner or later.

So her begrudging admission was enough for now, and he told her as much before he leaned forward, his lips seeking hers.

"Whoa," she protested, leaning back. "Do not try to kiss me."

He huffed, "Why not?"

"You just puked up blood not even ten minutes ago," she reminded.

Pursing his lips, he muttered, "Fine. Deny the sick person, that will speed up my recovery."

He pulled her closer, instead, directing her head to his shoulder, threading his fingers through her hair. His other hand rubbed her back soothingly.

* * *

Skye laced her arms tight around his middle, while her face found its way to the crook of his neck. She breathed in his scent - part salt and musk from his sick sweat, part soap from his quick shower before they left the motel. The smell didn't bother her, however.

Though, she had to wonder if she was his new fixation...since he had achieved all he had ever wanted in life in becoming the Gemini leader.

He just needed a new obsession, that was all. But she didn't know if she was ready to be the object of it...because surely that wasn't healthy emotional growth, notwithstanding all the atonement she also wasn't sure she was ready to receive.

Those thoughts and others like it floated around in her head as she stood, literally locked in his embrace.

And they stayed in that position until Jo reentered the room, the door slamming behind her.

Skye jumped away from Kai just as he began complaining,"_Finally_, I was about to use that bedpan for more practical reasons."

But Skye was stricken by Jo's stony expression.

"Sorry, Skye," she said to her before she quickly shouted, "_Motus_." She waved her hands in two different directions, one aimed at each of them.

Crying out, Skye was swept back away from Kai by an invisible force away while, with a shout, he sailed backwards through the air into the wall behind him. He landed hard on the ground, grunting in pain, a generic painting accompanying his fall.

Jo kept her hand in the air, steady on her brother, as she moved closer to him.

Skye tried to come forward, but found she was trapped in position, her feet resisting her commands to move. She soon discovered that words refused to leave her mouth as well.

And plain fury at her immobilization flooded through her.

Kai's grunts of pain turned louder and more pained, as his hands clutched at his temples and he struggled to sit up.

"I talked to Dad," Jo finally said, pacing in front of her prone brother. "Guess who's not sick. Him. Liv. And I'm feeling pretty good right now too which leads me to believe I'm not gonna die anytime soon _so what's your game? Tell me!_" she finished empathically.

The urge rose up again in Skye - the urge to defend Kai. But she was saved from it, since she was still rendered mute.

_What is wrong with you? _She asked herself. His sister deserved her doubt, deserved the chance to make him answer for all that he had done.

"I don't have a game," Kai insisted before he exclaimed, "God!" His hand came up then and instantly sent his sister to her knees, her hands raising to her temples, and her crying out in pain.

Kai fought to catch his breath as he moved to stand, his eyes finding Skye's. His were wild, and she was uneasy. He waved his hand at her, and Skye found that she could move again. She started towards Kai, his name halfway out of her mouth before he halted her.

"I'm okay," he assured her. "You okay?"

She nodded, now speechless, and he turned to address Jo, "As much as my suffering might bring you pleasure or whatever, this is not the way to handle the situation."

Jo's pain seemed to have abated as her hands came down and she glared up at her brother. She rose to her feet.

"Is this all just a ploy for you to get more magic?" she accused.

Kai's answering guffaws were incredulous. "It's a ploy for us all to stay alive, actually. Alright, I'm sorry if that seems selfish."

"I don't believe you," Jo retorted forcefully. "Because you're a liar. And you are the _worst _kind of liar, because your lies sound so much like the truth it is impossible for me to tell the difference."

Skye could empathize with the claim.

Kai clenched his jaw, a frustrated sigh escaping him. "You're right. I am a liar, alright? I'm the black sheep. You know, the _defective _twin that nobody wanted." Skye thought she almost could detect some actual pain accompanying the words.

Jo must've sensed the same because of her's was a look of anguish. Right then, Skye knew without a shadow of a doubt that Josette Parker had loved her twin brother once.

_Take care of him, _a twenty-two year old Jo had once whispered to Skye.

Kai's face was pinched with the same anguish. "It must feel real nice for you to stand here judging me, surrounded by all the things that you got out of life, while I spent eighteen years in isolation as the family reject, only stuck with the one person -" here, he pointed towards Skye, who could only stare at him, her heart pounding, enthralled in his emotion speech "- who _ever gave a crap about me _suddenly hating me, so..."

He advanced towards Jo, his fist clenched at his sides. "Let me tell you, every inch of me wants to kill you for that - _every part_," he yelled in her face, causing her to flinch back. "But I can't," he whispered, shaking his head. "Because the only way that I can survive is if you help me."

Jo looked near tears at this point.

"And I'd like to live, frankly," he confessed quietly. "Because I didn't get to do a whole lot of that before everyone decided that I wasn't worth it." Kai turned to Skye again, his eyes bright. "Skye didn't really get a chance either, and I would really, really like to be here to share that chance with her."

Skye swallowed as she held his eyes.

But Jo was only focused on her brother, gazing at him silently for long moments, before she said, "I'll give it to you."

Kai was silent too then, shifting his attention back to Jo, his breathing uneven, the barest hint of a smile lingering on the corners of his mouth.

"But under one condition," she hedged.

Kai's face fell.

"You take it and get out of my life. I never want you anywhere near me _ever again_," she told him roughly.

"Fine," Kai agreed flatly.

"I'm not finished."

"Shocker."

Her tone just as soft and deadly as past Kai on a bad day, she threatened, "If you break your promise, I'll kill you. I'll take myself and our entire coven down with you because I don't wanna live another minute afraid of my own brother. You got it?"

Kai was slow to respond but he finally replied, his voice devoid of all emotion. "Got it."

* * *

Finally, they all headed back to Jo's apartment as the sky darkened.

Kai settled on her couch, spreading out like he felt at home in the place, citing a sudden exhaustion.

Jo went straight to her bedroom, claiming she needed to prepare herself for the spell. Alaric followed closely.

Skye watched them leave then turned around in time to see Kai already asleep - a soft slumber, seeming more at peace than he had the previous night.

She went into Jo's kitchen and searched the cabinets for a glass. Her time in the Prison World had also had somewhat of an effect on her decorum and she had no qualms about helping herself to some water.

She sat at the small dining table there, choosing the chair opposite the doorway, enabling her to still view the lupine figure just beyond it, on the couch, her chair at just the right angle, making it possible to see his smooth face.

After a few minutes, Jo entered the kitchen, her face indifferent, as she made a beeline to the sink. She made herself a glass of water too, but knocked it back more quickly than Skye had.

She knew that Jo had to be nervous, possibly looking for more reasons to follow through with her parting of her magic.

"He's actually been...different since the Merge, you know," Skye started, hesitantly, but grew stronger as she continued, "You might not believe it, but he wrote you an apology letter. I don't know if you received it, Damon and Elena were supposed to have given it to you." If Skye had to guess, she figured it was probably at the top of the Salvatore's trash can. "He also helped come up with a way to bring Bonnie back, actually kinda risked his life to do so."

Jo swung around, her expression severe, matching the bite in her words: "And, tell me, Skye, is that why you stay with him?"

After a tense moment, feeling extremely weary, Skye shrugged blithely. "Why not give him a chance? After all, I'm the only one who ever has…"

Jo eyes pierced straight through her, keener than Skye remembered."That's not why," she deduced evenly.

Skye floundered internally, the apparent truth evading her, as she retorted, "Does it matter?"

Jo's eye widened. "It matters to me, why you let my brother walk all over you. Why you stick to his side, why you stand by as he hurts people...why you let him hurt you…"

"Like I've said, he's been different-"

"No, you were doing this before the Merge. And you might be able to believe he's changed, but I can't. Not with the way he acted today. I'm only giving away my magic so he'll go away peacefully. _I can't afford to believe again that he'll walk out of that door without it_." Jo asserted, her eyes filling with unshed tears. "Because the last time I believed something like that, there were a lot of casualties."

And right then Skye knew the number one reason Jo had agreed to relinquish her magic to her brother, and it had nothing to do with his speech.

Skye's own vision was blurring. She blinked rapidly, dislodging the liquid, the world in crisp detail once again, just in time to catch Jo's expression soften, coaxing an admission from her.

"I don't know why, okay?" The words were rushed. "I don't...all I know is - he's _all _I ha-…" she broke off abruptly and took in a shuddering breath, unable to bring herself to say it, everything in her being rebelling against the statement - because _it hurt_, a persistent ache in her ribcage. Because it was the truth. Jo's sympathetic face didn't waver.

Skye lifted her eyes to his still sleeping form. "Do you remember when I said to you that my choices were limited? It's still true, even after everything, like his change and all the other unexpected things that have cropped up with it."

She spilled more to her captive audience, the dam bursting. "Sometimes, I don't want him anywhere near me, but I still want him to be _somewhere _existing. Like I want him gone, but I don't really want him dead, no matter how many times I tell him I do. And now, especially now, that he's trying to be something other than what he's always been, I feel like someone should be around to bear witness to it. And even if all of it should backfire on me, I'll still have no one but him to turn to. But that's okay, I think, because it's all I really know, all I really remember... " She was beginning to wonder if her babbling was even making sense to Jo anymore, if it ever was.

Jo sat in the chair across from Skye, her hand seeking out Skye's resting on the tabletop. Jo squeezed it meaningfully as she spoke, "Skye, If you ever need a place to stay…if you ever need to get away, _you _are welcome here." Her implicit statement didn't pass by Skye - it was a tentative olive branch, but it was only being extended towards her.

Skye offered her a watery smile, which Jo returned. "Thank you," Skye whispered.

Jo nodded, releasing her hand. She breathed in deeply and said, "You can go wake him up, I think I'm as ready as I'll ever be."

Skye took a moment to compose herself before she stepped into the living room, then walked to the couch and crouched by it.

"Hey. wake up…. I think Jo's ready…." Skye told Kai, patting his shoulder.

He groaned, his eyes sluggishly blinking, before they focused on her.

His brow crinkled as his finger came up, rubbing under her one of her eyes.

She shook her head, and he seemed to drop it, sitting up.

He rubbed at his eyes as Jo approached them.

"Let's do this," she said.

"Me, our coven, and the prison worlds thank you," Kai told her, rising to his feet. Skye stepped aside, choosing to sit on the arm of the couch, out of the way.

"What exactly is this other prison world?" Alaric inquired from behind them, where he leant against the threshold, his arms crossed.

Kai turned towards him, a sardonic look on his face. "A place filled with crappy people like me, I'm sure," he replied before facing his sister again.

"Congrats," he said to her."You're saving their miserable lives from oblivion."

Jo looked less than thrilled about it.

"Oh," Kai admonished, reaching up to pinch her cheeks. "Don't look so stressed."

She pulled away from his touch, rolling her eyes.

"You never liked being a witch anyway."

"Shut up," she said simply, bringing her hands up to clasp his face, and closing her eyes.

Kai shut his just as Jo began chanting, the words Latinate and firm.

Loose papers flew up in the air as the dim light around them altered, becoming brighter.

The papers continued to blow around them, like dead leaves on a windy day.

Both Jo and Kai stood like statues in their positions, the only movement coming from Jo's lips as she continued to chant, then all at once, stopped. The light dimmed, the wind tunnel dropped out.

The siblings opened their eyes, one with a frightened expression, the other's exhilarated.

His mouth dropped open, Kai let out a soft exhalation.

"It's done," Jo announced.

Kai breathed out again, and Skye could tell he was definitely feeling better, a ghost of a smile on his lips. "Thank you," he said softly to his sister. "And congratulations."

Jo's brow furrowed. Kai leaned forward and whispered in her ear - something too low for either Alaric or Skye to hear with their human ears.

He pulled back and raised his hands towards her stupefied face, he swept her hair back then held her face as he said, smiling softly, "Have a good life, sissy."

He walked back towards Skye, leaving a very confused and seemingly shell-shocked Jo in his wake.

He stopped to pick up his jacket from the back of the couch. He glanced at Skye as he started toward the door.

"Come on, my baby boo."

With one last look at the frozen couple, Skye trailed after him.

* * *

Kai watched as Skye pulled the door shut behind her, closing him off from his favorite sibling. He sighed, as the new magic buzzed under his skin, the magic that screamed of his sister's pure essence, mingling with his.

"Does this mean you're gonna shave now?" Skye asked, as they began their journey back to the car.

He resisted a snort at the random question. "Why," he questioned, smirking lasciviously. "You don't like the look?"

Skye's only answer was to smile coyly, choosing not to give him an answer. But this smirk only grew wider as she sauntered ahead of him and he worked to keep up.

They were in the parking lot when she posed another question to him. "So did you tell her she was pregnant?"

Surprise shot through him, and he paused in his step. Thanks to his newly heightened witch senses, he had been able to sense their presence but barely. And it was only the extended contact between them, his sister's transfer of magic to him, that allowed him to even sense the babies' magical essences. "How did you know?"

She stopped beside him. "Her nausea wasn't like yours - I think they would've been a bit more concerned if she been spewing blood as well. Plus, her face looked puffier than the last time I saw her." Here, she ducked her head, her hand subconsciously drifting to her chest. "Not to mention I recognized the signs. It's easier when you've experienced them for yourself. Multiple times."

Kai found himself staring at the patch of gauze on Skye's shoulder, peeking out from under the collar of her shirt, the edges of which her fingers grazed now.

He had been right: three little elephants. That she hardly, if ever, acknowledged in the last few years.

In fact, he knew she would rather stab him than entertain the subject. She _had _literally stabbed him when he broached the subject once or twice so he was speaking from experience.

If she had meant what she'd said and was willing to allow him to make up for what he had done, then maybe one day he could drag it, and _more_, out of her.

He looked forward to it - getting down to the bottom of what made up his girl and all the mysteries of her had never bothered to have been privy to before.

* * *

_A/N: Hey guys, it's finally here! I could give you about 10,000 excuses, but I won't waste the space here. Just know the story was never far from my mind. Anyway, Kai is back! His return gave me the last bit of inspiration I needed to complete this. And I'm sure most of you were glad to see him too. Review and let me know what you think of this update and what your favorite Kai scene was from this last episode. Mine was probably the end when he siphoned Damon to the point of desiccation! Been wanting to see that for a long time._

_Here are the replies, sorry if I skip over someone's comments, I got confused where I left off, with all the sneak peaks and stuff. _

_Guest __1: Glad you're excited about the Containment fic. I need to get back on it. Glad you like the flashback, even when I switch them up, but they're back now in Europe. Hope you this one didn't upset you too much when it comes to the pregnancy but it was the only thing that made sense. And as you can see her tattoo did get finished, it was three little elephants on her collar bone. I wasn't going to let Kai stop a perfectly good tattoo from being completed. _

_Guest __2: Thank you!_

_Nirvana14__: Gratuitous tattoos are the best ones. _

_Vasya: Thank you! I'm glad you liked me trying to expand the witchcraft. It's something I look forward to experiment more with. Kai will actually figure out why she calls him Mal coming up. And your P.S. made me laugh. I plan to give them a somewhat happy ending, after a lot more angst and general shenanigans. _

_Sweet Summer Sunset__: Thank you for still caring enough about the story to write anything at all, even going as far to compliment writing you didn't have the time to read lol. You're fine, I understand life gets busy. Mine was too, that's why it took so long to even update. Anyway, you're lovely. Again thank you. _

_: Thank you! Hope you like the update and her interaction with Jo. Bonnie comes next chapter._

_Cuthie: Thank you! Too bad I couldn't write her into the show myself. _

_Guest __3/Origami23 : Thanks for checking on me. You're the main reason I posted the flashback for chapter 20. I'm glad I now know a username to which I can refer to you. I only replied to your comment in the sneak peak because you're the only one that asked a question. I'm glad I didn't watch this season until well after Katie's TVD character had died, lol. Sorry but I was not a fan and the sirens seemed like they didn't really go anywhere. And I have been watching Supergirl - I do like Mon El and I like his similarities to Kai. I also like he's canoodling with a blonde in it, because I could manipulate their scenes and have her represent Skye in a fanvideo that I hope to get around to making one day. Anyway, how are you enjoying the new season of the 100? I like it so far. I also enjoy Roan's character this season. I like that he is level-headed and more of an ally to Skaikru (is that how you spell it? I hope). _

_Khari: Thank you so much! I hope you like this flashback though it's a little heavy and traumatic. One day I hope to return to the lighter content of their early days. I'm so glad for the way you interpreted the tattoo scene, you picked up on everything I was trying to get across, as usual. I hope this chapter answers your question about the significance of the tattoo's design. Thanks for commenting on the sneak peak too and for speaking out about the troll. I really appreciate your intelligence and sense of caring. I did not know I could delete reviews. Could you share with me how? _

_Guest 4: Thank you!_

_Guest __5: Thank you! Hope you like!_

_Guest 6: Thank so much! _

_NiNa5__: Thank you! _

_Guest 7: Thanks!_

._.2016__: Thank you!_

_Lena: Wow, thanks so much for all the lovely words! I hope you like the update and get the part about the tattoo. _

_Kitsuneblackwater__: hope you like it!_

_Aliya: Thank you! I hope you like! Don't worry, I did ignore that person. It was easy to do._

_Brown-eyed Paradox__: Thanks for such a beautiful analysis of their relationship. Really, I live for reviews like yours. I'm glad you enjoyed it so much. Hope you like this update and hopefully one day I can post that Containment fic - it will be much different to this and probably a nice change of pace. _

_Lipstick Survivors__: Thank you! Hope you like the update._

_Nina: Thank you for taking the time to reach out! I won't give up on the story, it's about the only one I'm determine to finish. Thanks for the sweet words too, I hope you like the update._

_Finally to the guest (I hope it was just one person) posting hateful comments: From what little I could glean from your asinine, incoherent nonsense, I guess I pissed you off by not updating enough? Oops sorry I'm not sorry. Sincerely, I hope you gave up on the story because I don't think I want a reader like you. _

_To all my other readers, you're awesome, even the silent ones. Love you guys. _


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